Can The City Revoke Occupancy Permits Of Problem Apartments?

[Bill Call]

Just wondering.

If an apartment building exceeds a certain aggrevation threshold and meets or exceeds the definition of a public nuisance can the City revoke the occupancy permit of that rental property?

[ryan costa]

it is hard to quantify levels of nuisance or aggravation in any formal way. Once this is done it is a matter of enforcement. then you wind up with all kinds of lawsuits about children, race, income level, tourettes syndrome, ethnicity, etc. for some reason it always takes more laws to get the same amount of stuff done.

Lawyers are like Nuclear weapons. they are very expensive, and the primary use of them is to deter other lawyers.

[dl meckes]

Bill, have you ever Googled citizen nuisance lawsuits?

[Bill Call]

Bill, have you ever Googled citizen nuisance lawsuits?

Not until you suggested it.

Here is a some info from Raleigh, NC.

http://tinyurl.com/3um39t

In Raleigh a property sited under nuisance laws can be lose its occupancy permit. At that point the owners are given a temporary occupancy permit. If the property continues to be a problem the occupancy permit can be revoked for up to two years.

It sounds like a useful tool.

[Phil Florian]

First of all, shorter HTML strings! Second of all, I am curious if this is part of Mayor Fitzgerald's plan to be presented this Wednesday. I wonder how wide a scope will be included with this. Will it only deal with police and the more dangerous elements of criminal behavior (drugs, robbery, shootings, etc.) or will this tenant nuisance issue be a part of the discussion. Bill, you going next Wednesday?

[Bill Call]

Second of all, I am curious if this is part of Mayor Fitzgerald's plan to be presented this Wednesday. I wonder how wide a scope will be included with this. Will it only deal with police and the more dangerous elements of criminal behavior (drugs, robbery, shootings, etc.) or will this tenant nuisance issue be a part of the discussion. Bill, you going next Wednesday?

I usually intend to go to those kind of meetings and then don't,

I don't know if this idea or others like it will be included in his presentation. I've heard he intends to add a few police officers, that he has an agreement with West end bar owners to pay for off duty police protection, that he has secured the asistance of US Marshals in arresting people with outstanding warrants.. in other words he has hit the ground running.

A sound fiscal foundation is the rock on which he will build his legacy. I suspect he as more plans to be announced. I haven't talked to him about it. If he balanced the budget and then went fishing I would be disapointed. I don't think that's his plan.

Housing issues should certainly be part of any long range plan for the city's future. Housing is the key.

Lakewood is set to prosper, things are aligned for a really unique accomplishment in City government. The current mortgage crisis is actually working to the advantage of the City and its people. In a way it couldn't have come at a better time.

Things are looking up.

[sharon kinsella]

You better watch it Bill, you're sounding optimistic.

[dl meckes]

Bill - I made your URL tiny.

[Bill Call]

You better watch it Bill, you're sounding optimistic.

I am cautiously optimistic.

This City has been underachieving for at least 20 years. I think that Ed Fitzgerald intends to lead the City into a renaisance period, he didn't take this job for the money or because he thought he was next in line.

One of the reasons I am cautiously optimistic is that the Mayor has resisted the advice to do business as usual. Those applying pressure to him to do the same old thing gave advice that amounted to the following:

"Ed, what you need to do is to do things the way they always bin done. You just gotta spend more money doin it."

[Lynn Farris]

Once more Bill, I agree with you.

I too am cautiously optimistic. This administration hasn't gotten hit by the we can't do anything syndrome. Mayor Fitzgerald and his team are trying new things and new ideas. That in itself is very exciting.

I'm sure, as he himself admitted in his inaugural speech, that some of the things that he tries won't work and he will have to try something else. But it is so exciting to see him trying to do things in a different way.

It is so hard to overcome inertia and gravity pulling you down and forcing you to do the same thing over and over even if it doesn't work. I'm sure there will be forces coming after him every time he tries something new. Change is so hard - and I'm sure everyone that is experiencing it - is overcoming hurdless and it is hard.

But change is the only way that the city is going to prosper and grow. So, I too Bill, am cautiously optimistic.