Wednesday, August 27, 2008

Out Of Commission

A few million of my platelets in my bloodstream decided they were bored and decided to get together to hang out in a vein just off of the greater saphenous vein in my upper right leg.
As a result of this platelet party, I have been ordered in bed for the next few days or so.
Not that rational thought is easily obtained with plenty of vicodin on board. (Hate that damn stuff, but this is one attitude having phlebitis)
Be back soon, that is if Floyd memorial does not require my soul as payment for the services rendered.

Saturday, August 23, 2008

Enhanced Code Enforcement Meeting

The first true "discovery" meeting regarding enhanced code enforcement has occurred, and I actually feel encouraged of the perspective changes this committee will bring to our city.
My hopes are that the rental collective who were there, collecting names and numbers to have other investment property professional join ranks with them, are not going to fight every measure, every step of the way. Indications from the statements made by Harrison would indicate that they may in fact do so.
I did take particular note of Councilman Prices comments referring to our code enforcement officer as "a Barney Fife with a clip board and pen"... That too is a little discouraging.
What the members of this committee need to realize and focus on is the laws are all ready in place, well seasoned and have stood the test of time. What fundamentally has been lacking, which has brought us to this point, is the enforcement of such codes by the various governmental departments whose job it is to do so.
Inevitably, this will again lead to the need of a City Court, where the work of Pam Badger, and the yet to be named Second Code Enforcement Officer can be followed up on, and proper fines dispensed, or further legal actions taken if need be. We can no longer rely on a system where repeated letters are mailed, trying to threaten a neglectful property owner into compliance.
And yes a VERIFIED registration program for rental properties will help some, until they start realizing some of the registers are no more than intangible ghost names. There also needs to be inspections done, if the property is keep up to minimum codes, the property owners have nothing to worry about, if it is NOT up to code, the subsequent re-inspections is where fees should be instituted. Let the Slumlords pay for the program, NOT the law abiding Landlords who keep their properties clean , safe and inhabitable.

Friday, August 22, 2008

Be the Change...

"You must be the change you want to see in the world. "
~ Mahatma Gandhi

New Albany eyesores was launched years ago to chronicle the ins and outs of battling what seemed an impossible task, one slumlord with one house, and an entire block trying to fight him to get the place cleaned up to at least minimum standards. Years worth of posts, photos, etc were lost when the blog crashed a month or so ago.
The long and the short of it is: our block went through hell, many homeowners simply left rather that have to deal with the constant threats to health, peace and quiet, the occassional drug dealers and thugs who would rent from the slumlord for 6 months and move on leaving the property worse than it was before.
NA eyesores chronicled the debacle of the basement being flooded with fermenting human excrement, and the subsequent death of Ranger, our family's 8 year old Black Lab when the sewage was pumped out into the ajoining yards. Not to mention the garden pond full of Koi which died, and hundreds of dollars worth of landscaping which was ruined. The City took no action, no fines for such flagrant and illegal actions.
In the end, the property has been cleaned up, and with little or no thanks to the city with the exception of Pam Badger who did all she could do, but the attorney or his henchmen would only wad up her violation notices and throw them in the street.
In the end, constant pressure, phone calls, letter, videos, photos, etc. had won out, and with a little nudge of the immediate threat of a lawsuit against the property owner, not only from me, but two sets of former tenants, the place got turned around.
But it was too little too late, no less than 5 decent families gave up the fight, moved out, some simply letting the banks foreclose the homes when they would not sell, those homes have now been bought by one of the most notorious slumlord names in this city, whos blight still goes unchecked, and our block has went from a quiet little street where neighbors once congregated on porchswings and just talked about the weather to a garbage strewn, noisy, den of theivery with a few exceptions scattered through, but that tide is once again turning as well, and rather quickly. Which is a story for another time perhaps, to share the tips and tactics that work, as well as the ones that backfire.
The Tour De Farce of the city council meeting proved one thing above all else, we can not rely on our elected (save 4) to do what is right for this city and to realize that there are priorities. A situation which may indeed spur me to re-retire from local political issues, at least until 2010 in the 4th district....
If we want change in this city we must do it, and not rely on those who are supposedly our representatives, or at least until a point where the concerns of ALL are taken with equal consideration, and comprimises are sought, and all are treated with equality and due consideration and respect.