[RP TownTalk] multiple families/apartments

Thu Apr 22 14:55:38 UTC 2010

Catarina - 

Another good point - and it is not necessarily an eye-sore.  The home next to mine is kept about as well as others.  The one next to it, though, is horrible.  So it is a land-lord issue, not a multi-family issue.  

The number of cars parked in the road makes it inconvenient. What about water/sewage?  Trash removal?  What are the real costs to our town? Anyone know?  Is it any worse than the single family on my street that has, what, 20 cats and keeps their trash cans out front and has let their yard go to ruin??  Or people who feed stray cats increasing the risk of rabies being spread (oh, I've mentioned an animal, now I'm in for it....)?

Nancy

--- On Thu, 4/22/10, catarina correia <chatareena at gmail.com> wrote:

From: catarina correia <chatareena at gmail.com>
Subject: Re: [RP TownTalk] multiple families/apartments
To: "McDougall, Sherene (Law)" <Sherene.McDougall at ngc.com>
Cc: "Jeffrey Yorke" <yorkedial at gmail.com>, bruce.wernek at mindspring.com, OurDollMom at aol.com, towntalk at riverdale-park.org, nbmooney1 at yahoo.com
Date: Thursday, April 22, 2010, 9:34 AM

i wish more people would have moved in next door so they could have afforded to stay there.  instead, the home was foreclosed and then sold for the unbelivably low price of $70,000!!!  talk about decreasing home values!!  the home is worth at least 200,000!!!

i guess i dont understand what the problem is with having many people living in a home if they are not being noisy.  how is it an "eyesore"???
-catarina

On Thu, Apr 22, 2010 at 8:42 AM, McDougall, Sherene (Law) <Sherene.McDougall at ngc.com> wrote:

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> 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, wheadle at yahoo.com, bruce.wernek at mindspring.com, nbmooney1 at yahoo.com, 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] On Behalf Of OurDollMom at aol.com

Sent: Tuesday, April 20, 2010 5:57 PM
To: wheadle at yahoo.com; bruce.wernek at mindspring.com; nbmooney1 at yahoo.com; 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 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" <bruce.wernek at mindspring.com>

To: Nancy Mooney <nbmooney1 at yahoo.com>; 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 

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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