[RP TownTalk] multiple families/apartments

Don Lynch dlynch at garretroomstudios.com
Fri Apr 23 04:16:55 UTC 2010


Audrey,

I contacted code enforcement about an illegal apartment building and all 
I was told was, how difficult it was to correct the problem.

That was a year ago and the status quo hasn't changed.

I can't believe that there are legitimate apartment owners who are so 
complacent about this issue. I know they struggle with tax issues, code 
issues, fire safety code compliances.

Somehow adherence to such concerns are above the overcrowded single 
family homes where children reside.

If we, as a community, aren't concerned about young children, who aren't 
aware of safety issues, living in these illegal dwellings, then what are 
we concerned about or ignoring?

Don

ABragg7393 at aol.com wrote:
> Nancy and all,
> We have a code enforcement department in the town of Riverdale. You 
> can pick up a booklet of all the codes at the town offices.  On top of 
> that we have county codes as well.  You can look at that on the county 
> web site.  I believe it is against the law to have 20 cats.  I think 
> number of animals are limited unless you have a breeder's license.  If 
> there are too many cars on the street, you can petition your council 
> rep to limit parking to one side or residents only or something to 
> make it more convenient for  the streeet.  Your tax dollars pay for 
> these services, so you need to call and let them know of the problems 
> so they can take care of it.  Rental properties are required to have a 
> license and must have yearly inspections, if the property near you is 
> horrible, than you should call and repot it so that they can check on 
> licensing and make sure they get it inspected and up to code.
> Call or email our code department.  Number is in town crier.  Call or 
> email your town council rep.  Number is also in town crier.  They 
> can't do anything if they don't hear from you.
> Audrey
>  
> In a message dated 4/22/2010 10:55:49 A.M. Eastern Daylight Time, 
> nbmooney1 at yahoo.com writes:
>
>     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
>         <mip://04529840/mc/compose?to=Sherene.McDougall@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
>             <mip://04529840/mc/compose?to=yorkedial@gmail.com>]
>             *Sent:* Thursday, April 22, 2010 12:21 AM
>
>             *To:* bruce.wernek at mindspring.com
>             <mip://04529840/mc/compose?to=bruce.wernek@mindspring.com>
>             *Cc:* McDougall, Sherene (Law); OurDollMom at aol.com
>             <mip://04529840/mc/compose?to=OurDollMom@aol.com>;
>             wheadle at yahoo.com
>             <mip://04529840/mc/compose?to=wheadle@yahoo.com>;
>             towntalk at riverdale-park.org
>             <mip://04529840/mc/compose?to=towntalk@riverdale-park.org>;
>             nbmooney1 at yahoo.com
>             <mip://04529840/mc/compose?to=nbmooney1@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
>             <mip://04529840/mc/compose?to=bruce.wernek@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
>                 <mip://04529840/mc/compose?to=OurDollMom@aol.com>,
>                 wheadle at yahoo.com
>                 <mip://04529840/mc/compose?to=wheadle@yahoo.com>,
>                 bruce.wernek at mindspring.com
>                 <mip://04529840/mc/compose?to=bruce.wernek@mindspring.com>,
>                 nbmooney1 at yahoo.com
>                 <mip://04529840/mc/compose?to=nbmooney1@yahoo.com>,
>                 towntalk at riverdale-park.org
>                 <mip://04529840/mc/compose?to=towntalk@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
>                 <mip://04529840/mc/compose?to=towntalk-bounces@riverdale-park.org>
>                 [mailto:towntalk-bounces at riverdale-park.org
>                 <mip://04529840/mc/compose?to=towntalk-bounces@riverdale-park.org>]
>                 *On Behalf Of *OurDollMom at aol.com
>                 <mip://04529840/mc/compose?to=OurDollMom@aol.com>
>                 *Sent:* Tuesday, April 20, 2010 5:57 PM
>                 *To:* wheadle at yahoo.com
>                 <mip://04529840/mc/compose?to=wheadle@yahoo.com>;
>                 bruce.wernek at mindspring.com
>                 <mip://04529840/mc/compose?to=bruce.wernek@mindspring.com>;
>                 nbmooney1 at yahoo.com
>                 <mip://04529840/mc/compose?to=nbmooney1@yahoo.com>;
>                 towntalk at riverdale-park.org
>                 <mip://04529840/mc/compose?to=towntalk@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
>                 <mip://04529840/mc/compose?to=wheadle@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
>                     <mip://04529840/mc/compose?to=bruce.wernek@mindspring.com>"
>                     <bruce.wernek at mindspring.com
>                     <mip://04529840/mc/compose?to=bruce.wernek@mindspring.com>>
>                     *To:* Nancy Mooney <nbmooney1 at yahoo.com
>                     <mip://04529840/mc/compose?to=nbmooney1@yahoo.com>>;
>                     towntalk at riverdale-park.org
>                     <mip://04529840/mc/compose?to=towntalk@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
>                         <mip://04529840/mc/compose?to=towntalk@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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