On 2/7/04 12:56 AM, "Dyna Sluyter" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
>> As for the peeling paint, my experience with city inspectors is that they'll >> work with you if you show some actual inclination to get the work done. > > I have the inclination but neither the ability or funding. Sean Ryan mentioned this already, but in case you missed it: http://www.gmcc.org/paint-a-thon/ Deadline to apply is May 10th. >> One of my fraternity's houses was cited late last year for peeling paint, >> but it was too late in the season for us to arrange for painting. So we were >> given until late this spring to get it done. And we will. > > Apparently the city is much more accommodating of upper class frat > boy's misdemeanors than they are of working class gimps. No, the city is more accommodating of folks who take citations seriously rather than ignore them until the court summons shows up. Ask anybody who lives in SE Minneapolis - fraternities get no special treatment from the city. >> City inspections only gets nasty on folks who refuse to take responsibility >> for the property they own. The argument about what makes economic sense and >> what doesn't is completely irrelevant. The ordinance is the same whether you >> live in Hawthorne or Longfellow and if it were enforced differently, that's >> what would make the city "the problem rather than the solution." > > Then why were your frat boys given a slap on the wrist and I am > threatened with imprisonment? Because our "frat boys" have a record of taking citations from city inspections seriously and getting things done in the time allotted to us. Because we have been attentive, we have a good working relationship with city inspections. Like I said, city inspections only gets nasty on folks who blow them off. Which is pretty much what you've done. And you know full well that by selective enforcement, I meant enforcing the ordinance in some neighborhoods and not in others. When the code is not enforced consistently and certain neighborhoods are allowed to decline, that's when the city is forsaking its' responsibility to those who live and work here. So you should be happy the city cited you for your peeling paint. It means they haven't totally abandoned Hawthorne as you seem to think. > BTW, The city's insistance on imprisoning me for peeling paint was the > "tipping point" that's forcing me to flee Minneapolis. If the city > wishes to negotiate in good faith a rational solution to this dispute I > have yet to invest outside the city and could still change my plans. > Unfortunately our city attorney seems more interested in locking me up > at city expense than improving the neighborhood. You keep saying the city insists on imprisoning you. Yet, you're obviously not in prison. So how insistent can the city attorney really be about this? Who's really not making a good faith effort to find a rational solution to this dispute? The city or Dyna Sluyter? >> If you aren't willing to maintain your property, sell it now and move >> someplace where you won't be responsible for that. > > Thanks to our questionable "truth in housing" ordinance I would have > to spend more to bring it up to current city code than it's worth on > the currently declining housing market. That's also wrong. Truth in Housing does not require repairs to be made on every code violation. What it mostly requires is that all problems must be disclosed. There are a few basic things that have to be fixed before a house can be sold, but someone can buy a house with violations if the seller and purchaser work out an agreement. I believe those are what are commonly called "fixer-uppers." Details on the city TIH program can be found here: http://www.ci.minneapolis.mn.us/citywork/city-coordinator/operations/inspect ions/buying_selling_property/Truth%20in%20Housing/TIHtop.html Or use: http://makeashorterlink.com/?M114468C5 By the way, peeling paint is not covered by TIH. Mark Snyder Windom Park REMINDERS: 1. Think a member has violated the rules? Email the list manager at [EMAIL PROTECTED] before continuing it on the list. 2. Don't feed the troll! Ignore obvious flame-bait. For state and national discussions see: http://e-democracy.org/discuss.html For external forums, see: http://e-democracy.org/mninteract ________________________________ Minneapolis Issues Forum - A City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Un-subscribe, etc. at: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
