[RP TownTalk] multiple families/apartments

ABragg7393 at aol.com ABragg7393 at aol.com
Thu Apr 22 14:15:38 UTC 2010


Prince George's County has rules and regulations regarding the number of  
people in a space.  They calculate by square footage and also number of  
bedrooms and living space.  You can look it up on the county web  site.  These 
are the laws of the county and we should all obey the  law,  no matter where 
we come from or who we are.  If some folks are  suffering hardship, then it 
is up to the others to help them out, either  through county programs or 
through our own efforts.  Talking and  complaining does not help.  Get out 
there and do something.
Audrey
 
 
 
In a message dated 4/22/2010 10:09:19 A.M. Eastern Daylight Time,  
bruce.wernek at mindspring.com writes:

There are numerous reasons for limits to the number of people in  a home 
not the least of which is safety. 
When a home is designed, the architect makes assumptions about how many  
people will be living there.  This becomes significant when you start to  
count the number of exits.  Theres a litany of regulations in this area,  which 
I do not want to get into, but it's all related to safety.  Imagine  a fire 
at one of the homes with four families.  Assuming two children per  family, 
that would mean 16 people living in a house designed for ~6 people  (three 
bedrooms 1.5 baths).  All of them would be scrambling for the two  exits.  I 
would not want to be one of them. 
The other issue is living conditions.  Imagine 16 people living in a  three 
bedroom house with 1.5 bathrooms, a living room, and a dining  room.  That 
would mean there would be three people sleeping in each room  with four in 
one of them.  Would any of you want to live like  that?
Imagine 16 people bathing in one bathroom or sharing one  kitchen.  Would 
any of you want to be one of those people?  On  43rd there was a grandmother 
with three children living in a garage awhile  back using electric space 
heaters in the winter and yes this was in  Riverdale.  Does this sound like the 
kind of living conditions we want in  this town or anywhere else for that 
matter.  What about basic human  dignity.  I hear a lot of talk about it.  
For your information, this  is what it's all about. 
I keep reading all of this motherhood, but what about the reality of it  
all.  Does anyone out there think about these things? 
Bruce

-----Original  Message----- 
From: "McDougall, Sherene (Law)"  
Sent: Apr 22, 2010 8:42 AM 
To: Jeffrey  Yorke , bruce.wernek at mindspring.com 
Cc:  OurDollMom at aol.com, wheadle at yahoo.com, towntalk at riverdale-park.org,  
nbmooney1 at yahoo.com 
Subject: RE: [RP TownTalk] multiple  families/apartments 


Quite  agree.  I am from a West Indian culture and know how it is with big  
families in a small space.  Could not have said it better about the  wasted 
spaces in huge homes, though I am guilty of that to a point but only  
because I extended from a small home to a moderate one to make more room for  my 
family, extended family and friends when they come to visit.    
 
From: Jeffrey Yorke  [mailto:yorkedial at gmail.com] 
Sent: Thursday, April 22, 2010 12:21  AM
To: bruce.wernek at mindspring.com
Cc: McDougall,  Sherene (Law); OurDollMom at aol.com; wheadle at yahoo.com;  
towntalk at riverdale-park.org; nbmooney1 at yahoo.com
Subject: Re: [RP  TownTalk] multiple families/apartments
 
Bruce's theory is only one scenario in the Big City of  immigration in 
America. And in landlording. Most landlords are not out to  beat the tax system 
illegally. At least not the ones in my sphere. And we  are also not out to 
take advantage of tenants, citizens or undocumented  immigrants.  
 

 
Long before America's recent invasions/wars broke the  bank, families and 
friends have been doubling up in houses. And in  apartments. Part of it has 
been economic beyond the economy, part of it is  cultural. My own Ukrainian 
relatives packed into a small house made for a  fifth of the number of those 
who lived there. That was during Calvin  Coolidge's administration. And it's 
happened to every immigrant population  since, not to mentioned US born 
Americans. It's just more obvious to  communities when the gang is "outsiders." 
And we immediately think they  don't belong and that they are here 
illegally. A whole lot of assuming is  going on here. 
 

 
One more thing: Americans are generally a people  overhoused. Too darn much 
space for each person in a single house. Bathrooms  that go on for acres, 
kitchens large enough for Emeril Lagasse to do his  show. Should we be 
astounded when someone from a different culture takes new  approach to otherwise 
wasted space? 
 

 
As far as fear of property values going down because "too  many" people 
live at one address, consider if these same people were forced  to live outside 
the dwelling, on the street. Property values would be really  down then. 
And that would be the least of our  problems. 
 

 

 

 
 
On Wed, Apr 21, 2010 at 8:00 AM, <_bruce.wernek at mindspring.com_ 
(mailto:bruce.wernek at mindspring.com) >  wrote: 
 
Oh please, enough with the motherhood, this has been going on for  years.  
There are two houses around a block from my house that have/had  multiple 
families living in them long before the economic downturn.   One of them, next 
to Ernie's Lock, was shut down about 18 months ago for  this reason.  The 
other still has around four families living in  it. 
It's unfortunate, but many of these places are halfway houses for illegal  
immigrants/families.  This is the way it works.  A citizen or  a legal 
immigrant buys a house.  To pay for the house he/she  rents rooms to illegal 
immigrants/families.  Since the illegal  immigrants/family have no 
identification, credit history, social security  number(s), etc, it's difficult if not 
impossible for them to rent an  apartment or find a regular job.  This means 
that they must work as day  laborers and therefore pay their rent in cash.  
It's perfect for  the landlord because; there is no record of rent payments; 
there is no  enforcement of rental laws because as far as the county is  
concerned the house is not a rental property; the landlord doesn't  have to 
spend any money on maintainenance, insurance, etc. because again the  house is 
"not a rental property"; enforcement of rental laws is lax if  not 
non-existent; and the landlord doesn't claim the rent as income so  he/she doesn't 
pay any taxes on it while still geting all of the  related benefits that we 
taxpayers pay for.  Not only that, if the  illegal immigrant/family is having 
difficulty paying their rent, the  landlord can threaten to turn them over 
to the INS or just throw them out  with absolutely no consequences.  The 
tenants have no recourse  since they are not legal residents. 
What a country!  
Bruce 
 
 
-----Original Message-----  
From: "McDougall, Sherene (Law)" 
Sent: Apr 20, 2010 6:01 PM  
To: _OurDollMom at aol.com_ (mailto:OurDollMom at aol.com) , _wheadle at yahoo.com_ 
(mailto:wheadle at yahoo.com) , _bruce.wernek at mindspring.com_ 
(mailto:bruce.wernek at mindspring.com) , _nbmooney1 at yahoo.com_ (mailto:nbmooney1 at yahoo.com) , 
_towntalk at riverdale-park.org_ (mailto:towntalk at riverdale-park.org)  
Subject: RE: [RP  TownTalk] multiple families/apartments  
 
Please remember that in these  times when a lot of people are losing their 
homes, families are bundling  up and living with relatives so as not to end 
up on the streets.  I  do agree that there are instances where unrelated 
people dwell in a home,  but we are all trying to survive.  
Sherene 
 
 
From: _towntalk-bounces at riverdale-park.org_ 
(mailto:towntalk-bounces at riverdale-park.org)  [mailto:_towntalk-bounces at riverdale-park.org_ 
(mailto:towntalk-bounces at riverdale-park.org) ] On Behalf Of  _OurDollMom at aol.com_ 
(mailto:OurDollMom at aol.com) 
Sent: Tuesday, April 20,  2010 5:57 PM
To: _wheadle at yahoo.com_ (mailto:wheadle at yahoo.com) ; 
_bruce.wernek at mindspring.com_ (mailto:bruce.wernek at mindspring.com) ; _nbmooney1 at yahoo.com_ 
(mailto:nbmooney1 at yahoo.com) ; _towntalk at riverdale-park.org_ 
(mailto:towntalk at riverdale-park.org) 
Subject: Re: [RP  TownTalk] multiple families/apartments

 
Some time ago I went to a meeting  about
 
this topic.  The answer was the  courts are
 
so overloaded with serious cases  that the
 
judges will not hear or prosecute  people
 
who have multiple family  members/friends
 
living with them.  Also was  mentioned that
 
these people are trying to survive,  make a
 
living, send money back home, etc.  They
 
said the rules cannot be  enforced.
 

 
 
In a message dated 4/20/2010  12:30:35 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time, 
_wheadle at yahoo.com_ (mailto:wheadle at yahoo.com)   writes:

 
 

 
On the same subject, what is the maximum number of  people allowed in, for 
instance, a 1 bedroom apartment?  Just  curious...
 

 

 



  
____________________________________
 
From: "_bruce.wernek at mindspring.com_ (mailto:bruce.wernek at mindspring.com) " 
<_bruce.wernek at mindspring.com_ (mailto:bruce.wernek at mindspring.com) >
To: Nancy  Mooney <_nbmooney1 at yahoo.com_ (mailto:nbmooney1 at yahoo.com) >; 
_towntalk at riverdale-park.org_ (mailto:towntalk at riverdale-park.org) 
Sent: Tue, April  20, 2010 10:42:23 AM
Subject: Re: [RP TownTalk] multiple  families/single family homes 
I've noticed this too Nancy.  This is  going on all over town. 
Based on my understanding, the maximum  number of unrelated individuals 
allowable by law is five per  household.  I had to abide by this law when I had 
rental property  in Hyattsvile. 

-----Original Message----- 
From: Nancy Mooney  
Sent: Apr 20, 2010 10:33 AM 
To: _towntalk at riverdale-park.org_ (mailto:towntalk at riverdale-park.org)  
Subject: [RP  TownTalk] multiple families/single family homes      
I have begun to wonder  what the impact is on our town of these many single 
family homes  that are crammed with families.

I know of one instance  where a family of 4 shares a bedroom in the back of 
a  house.  Another large family has the front of the house,  and at least 
one other person is living in the  basement.

I think there are at least three families - by  the number of 'moms' and 
kids I see.  (I'm assuming they  are moms) in the house next to me - which has 
4 bedrooms at the  most.

I know this group can be very caustic - please no  insults about me being 
racist, or bigoted, or, whatever.   These people I'm speaking of are my 
friends.  But it just  seems unhealthy and in the long run - a burden on the town 
 services.

What I would like to know is what are the costs  to the town, and what can 
we do to reduce this  impact?

Nancy 






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--  
Jeffrey Yorke
Yorke Property Management, Inc.
Yorke  Partners
Jeffrey at YorkeRents.com
301-502-1243






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