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Group: Administrators
Last Login: 2 days ago @ 4:45 PM
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Sound Off: Should the city tighten the housing code?
The story: In the wake of several grassroots "problem property potlucks" this fall in which neighbors rose up to protest and highlight dilapidated Lincoln houses, city officials are considering tightening the housing code and tweaking city processes for dealing with them.
Lincolnites at the potlucks railed at owners who don't care for their property, but also the city for being ineffective in the face of repeat offenders. Now the city is considering new tools to deal with problem properties, which were laid out for the City Council on Monday.
After the briefing, one of the organizers of the potlucks said he felt like pinching himself, he was so incredulous that the city is considering major changes in the way it deals with eyesores.
Among the hammers being considered is the creation of a points system -- similar to the driver's license points system -- for housing violations that could result in the loss of an apartment permit. Chris Connolly of the city Law Department is working on a three-strike rule in which a property owner could lose permits on all units for at least a year.
"This is meant to deal with the worst of the worst," said Jon Carlson, the mayor's aide who runs the Stronger, Safer Neighborhoods Initiative.
Councilman Jon Camp is also working on a similar scorecard system.
The city is also looking at moving in and making repairs to dilapidated properties whose owners refuse to repair, then billing the owner, and perhaps speeding up the lien foreclosure process. Liens could also be put on properties with a stack of unpaid fines.
The city may also get tougher on problem properties with delinquent taxes. The city could force foreclosure of the properties.
City Council Chairman Doug Emery is skeptical about whether the City Council is really ready to take hold of some of the tools, but said he's never seen the council more united on the issue of doing something about deteriorated properties.
"We are going to make some constituents angry," he warned. "Do we have the will to do that?"
The issue seems to have bipartisan support on the council, as opposed to past movements.
Representatives of the Real Estate Owners and Managers Association, a property management company representative and a Realtor were among those who served on a task force looking at one of the tools under consideration: updating the city housing code.
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Group: Forum Members
Last Login: Tuesday, November 10, 2009 1:49 PM
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If the city wants people to fix up their dilapidated houses, the city should deal with the building codes and permit costs. Instead of making it harder for homeowners to do work on their own homes they should make it easier. More people would fix things up if they could do it themselves instead of hiring expensive contractors.
For example, the city building code made the what was formerly a somewhat inexpensive, easy project of replacing windows into a big deal. Because now if a window is replaced, it must meet size requirements (in many older homes, the windows are "too small"). So instead of just replacing a window, trim must be torn off & then redone, window must be reframed, drywall or plaster must be fixed, ect. Turning a formerly minor project into something quite expensive. This is just one example. There are many more. Applying for permits, paying for permits, & then taking the time to be there for inspectors (who work business hours, of course, so then you have to take time off work for the inspection) can all be a real hassle. The codes should be reviewed & modified so that certain types of work do not require inspections & permits.
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Group: Forum Members
Last Login: 2 days ago @ 10:36 PM
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| Landlords catch hell for rundown properties. Maybe the biggest part of the problem are the tenants that do not pay the rent. Trash the property and then leave it and move on to repeat the process. Then they whine about having to live in deplorable conditions. Because of these scumbag tenants every renter in Lincoln is paying higher rents.
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