NOT JUST RENTAL PROPERTY, BUT ALL HOUSES

There has been much concern, rightfully, about unsafe houses. And there has been some confusion about the authority of the Building Inspector. I have a copy of Code 150.101 and will be posting sections here:

SUMMARY OF CODE 150.101

CLEANLINESS OF PREMISES

BUILDING COMMISSIONER RESPONSIBILITIES

1. Enter premises to determine compliance.

2. Determine the identity & address of landowner

3. Send written notice by certified mail.

4. Have the city remove material & vehicles.

5. File a lien against the property with the County Recorder for all costs incurred by the city for removal.

Following is an explanation of the five steps listed above:

1. To determine compliance with this chapter, the Building Commissioner is entitled to enter upon the premises of any real property within the city.

2. If the Building Commissioner determines there is a violation of this section, he or she shall send by mail, a written notice to the owner(s) of the real estate, and to all other persons holding a substantial interest in the real estate (hereinafter "landowner"), requiring removal of the material and vehicles within 20 days.

3. The notice must also inform the landowner that failure to comply will result in the city removing and disposing of the material and vehicles at the landowner's expense.

4. The notice must also inform the landowner of his or her right to appeal the Building Commissioner's determination, according to the procedures set forth herein.

5. The Building Commissioner will determine the landowner's identity from the duplicate records of the County Auditor.

I was once in favor of rental inspections but after further research I realized that we already have the laws on the books and all we need to do is enforce them. We must keep in mind that unsafe houses are not just rental properties but owner occupied homes as well.

RENTAL INSPECTION REVISITED

There was a meeting this morning with the committee formed to address rental inspections/registration and code enforcement. The members of this committee are Council Members John Gonder, Steve Price, and Pat McLaughlin and Deputy Mayor Carl Malysz.

It was surprisingly well attended with an estimated 35 to 40 citizens. Mr. Gonder lead the meeting with an outline of goals and objectives.

The first item on the agenda is the hiring of a concentrated code enforcement officer. Resumes have been submitted and the individual will be hired in the next 2 weeks. The committee anticipates a period of approximately 2 months for the individual to become acclimated to the position and to begin to take action.

There were many issues addressed today. One of the main concerns was the cost of the inspections and the fact that rental inspections do not include inspections of owner occupied homes.

Of course another major concern is the problem with absentee landlords. Mr. Hartman, the building inspector, complained that it is often difficult to determine the owner of the property so therefore he cannot confront the owner about the problem.

It is my understanding that if the city needs to mow the grass, remove an abandoned car, or anything along these lines the city can place a lien against the property to be paid along with the taxes. If the lien is not paid the city can seize the house and sell it at a Sheriff's sale.

Many of the attendents expressed their concerns about the drop in property values due to unsafe homes, drug dealers, meth labs, etc. These are very serious issues that are not dealt with in a timely manner. The committee members asked for addresses of these properties.

In all it was an effective start. Hopefully this will be the first of many such meetings and maybe someday New Albany will be a safe and clean place to live.

Readers, if you attended this meeting please add your comments. There was so much information to give but I didn't want this posting to go on forever.

Thanks,

Shirley

STEPHANIE TUBBS JONES

Today the country lost a kind and gracious Congresswoman, Stephanie Tubbs Jones.

I had the privilege of meeting Congresswoman Jones this summer when she accompanied Chelsea Clinton to New Albany. She was a special person and a friend to all Americans.

RENTAL INSPECTIONS

Besides the smoking ban, there is another hot button issue on the minds of many New Albany residents, both property owners and renters. I am referring to rental inspections.


I have been in favor of rental inspections for a few years. But I am not in favor of people being constantly visited by code enforcement officers or the building commission without cause.


We all know which homes are in disrepair and dangerous for human habitation. These are the homes which need to be monitored. As has been mentioned on other blogs, some people do not have enough money for the first month's rent plus a deposit and/or cannot pay very much for their rent. These people are forced to live in sub-standard housing.


I realize a lot of people who own rental property feel that they are being targeted but I don't think this will be the case. The offenders can be fined and this will pay for the code enforcement.


Readers, how do you feel about rental inspections?

SMOKING? NON-SMOKING? DO YOU CARE?

After reading the Tribune today I am confused about the smoking ban. There was an article about council members Price, Bennedetti, and Messer visiting the 40 & 8 club to discuss the ban.

It was my impression that private clubs would be exempt from the ban. When did this change?

I was reluctant to write about this issue because as a non-smoker I didn't think it was my place to do so. But after hearing both sides I am inclined to agree with the opposition. While I agree that smoking should be banned in restaurants and work places in general, I think that bars and private clubs should be exempt.

Private clubs are just that, private property. If the members choose to smoke, that should be their right. And bars? As the article said, 90% of people who go to bars to drink will smoke also. I have seen people who do not normally smoke do so in bars.

Well, that is my opinion for whatever it's worth.

The next council meeting is next week. Readers, will you attend the meeting and do you plan to speak?

MAYBE WE COULD CALL IT RIVERSIDE HOUSING OPPORTUNITIES

A couple of weeks ago a TV show I was watching mentioned a program called "Mountain Housing Opportunities" in Asheville, NC. The show featured a young couple who had little money but were able to purchase a condo for $150,000 with payments as low as $560.00. Naturally this caught my attention so I googled "MHO" and asked for a brochure. They promptly replied to my email and said that a brochure would soon arrive.



I now have the brochure. It briefly explains the program, it's mission, and which citizens are helped. It is broken down into 10 segments, the last 2 are requests for volunteers and contributions. But MHO is all about volunteerism.



Following are brief quotes from the brochure:



"Mountain Housing Opportunities (MHO) is a private nonprofit community development corporation serving Asheville and Buncombe County. We achieve our mission through.

1. Affordable Homeownership


2. Rural Home Rehabilitation


3. Community Rental Investments


4. Emergency Home Repair

To revitalize neighborhoods, restore the environment and build the local economy, MHO works with local volunteers, churches, businesses and individual donors. By providing an improved home environment to working families and individuals, retirees, and people with disabilities, we're giving them something even greater: the opportunity to help themselves and others."

MHO helps low and moderate households purchase a home using flexible mortgage financing. The homeowners "earn' their downpayment with sweat equity, helping to build or rehab the home themselves. The financing is through the US Department of Agriculture.

In addition to home owners, MHO also has a "Community Rental Investment program...develops safe, attractive, afforadble rental homes and apartment communities for working families and individuals, retirees and people with disabilities". "Each development offiers for its residents a unique setting in a good neighborhood, with innovative architecture and design, site planning with beautiful landscaping, floor plans that are spacious and flowing, and superior amenities such as play areas, walking trails and community centers"

There is even an "Emergency Home Repair" section which makes repairs for lower income people. The repairs include electrical repairs, unsafe furnaces, handrails, plumbing or roofing problems, ramps, etc.

"MHO is North Carolina nonprofit corporation with tax-exempt status, approved by the US Internal Revenue Service to receive tax-deductible contributions under sec. 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. Donations to HMO are tax-deductible to the full extent of the law"

I don't know how to go about implementing something like this in New Albany but I plan to talk to as many people as possible who do have the needed knowlege. It all comes down to volunteers. Yes, many of us do a lot of volunteer work but I think we have an untapped resource. This organization will help a lot of people who maybe did not think they could buy a home. Yes we have Habitat for Humanity and CHODO but there is always room for another place for people to go for help. I believe this organization would be less restrictive and depend more on the contribution of the very people it helps. We all want to reduce the ratio of renters/homeowners. This is just another way to accomplish this goal.

I must clarify something. The condo mentioned in the first paragraph was valued at $150,000.00 but the amount of the mortgage was not mentioned. I thought at first that MHO helped with the down payment but possibly they helped with repairs or updates which raised the value of the condo. Either way this is a wonderful organization which helps a lot of people.