health dept problems - Posted by Paul_MAp

import · September 28, 2001, 3:30pm

Posted by Ronald * Starr on September 28, 2001 at 20:30:21:

Paul MA—

Gee, do you suppose that is what he is waiting for?

As a real estate investor, it is very easy for me to look up the property ownership roll in the county (or city or township) and find out what a peson owns. I can also look in the recorder’s records and see any transactions with a person’s name on them. It might be possible for me to look up the names of voters or even all the voters at one particular address. Even the phone book can have interesting information about somebody whose name you have.

Now, suppose the next time the inspector is over, somebody talking to him pulled out a piece of paper and said something like “gee, if I needed to visit you in the evening or on the weekend to deliver something to you, would that be 1234 E. Smooth Street?” naming his home address. “Or would you and your wife Sally Ann prefer to not be bothered?” Pretty innocculous questions? Kind of reminds him that he is just a person, not some invulnerable, mysterious entity.

On the other hand, you might want to talk to some of the other rehabers in town or contractors and ask them their opinion of what is going on.

Good InvestingRonald Starr*****

import · September 28, 2001, 3:30pm

health dept problems - Posted by Paul_MAp

Posted by Paul_MAp on September 28, 2001 at 15:30:35:

I bought a tax lien on a 3 fam house in MA. The owner then deeded the house to me (he was motivated).

My house is 4 lots up from a street that is being repaved. After repaving, no parking will be allowed on that street. My property was wanted by the city (Dept of Comm Dev) as a potential tear down for needed parking spaces.

After I got the deed, the city entered the house while I was away and condemned it. This was in late '98. I was living in NY till last year. They said they could uncondemn it one unit at a time.

The city no longer wants the house. The owners of the other vacant properties that I can see when I look out the window were contacted by the city, but the city just jerks them around about buying their property. (The city has no money. They almost removed 50% of the streetlights in the city.) The street paving work is now almost complete and I’m pretty sure that the city is done buying property.

Now I’m done remodeling. I do nice work. But the Health Dept keeps playing games. The Health dept man (Vic) came and uncondemned one of the units over a month ago. He said it would take a couple of weeks to type up the ‘uncondemn’ letter. A week later when I called he asked me if I had already rented the unit, but I won’t until I have the letter.

On one of Vic’s visits, when I handed him the requested smoke alarm certificate from the fire dept, I saw him fold it up and put it in his back pocket.

When I called today, the existing file in the health dept has no notice of the uncondemning, according to the secretary. The secretary stated that he (Vic) must still have that part of the file in his briefcase. I asked Vic on the phone if he could pass it on to the secretary so she could type the letter for me and he replied “If I get to that point”.

Vic is not the top dog in the Health Dept. Should I start talking with his boss? Should I ask the top dog for a meeting with the 3 of us?

I’ve always been calm and cool, never complaining, but I’m not sure how to handle this situation. I’m almost at the end of my rope with this property.

I’m also starting to envision problems with future properties in this town. Is there a way to get back on the good side of the ‘hellth’ dept?

I posted this at another web site and the best answer I received was to hand the health inspector an envelope with 50 or 100 dollars in it.

Any advice is appreciated.

Paul MA

import · September 29, 2001, 2:08am

Re: health dept problems - Posted by Clare Z

Posted by Clare Z on September 29, 2001 at 02:08:00:

I think it would be a good idea to have that meeting. I would come with a typed list of all the activity, including dates, and present it to all parties at that meeting.

I am in CA now, but am from MA. Am curious about which town it is. Nothing would surprise me. I know of a guy who had to tear his addition down after a neighbor’s complaint b/c he did not have all of the right paperwork. Our own neighbors came by and were taking pix of an addition that my dad was having done. B-i-l grew up there, is in construction and d*** well had all the needed paperwork for that one.

Later,

Clare
tczim@home.com

You are either part of the solution, or you’re part of the precipitate. - Stephen Wright