Boarding homes again (8:32 pm.)
May 5th, 2008, 6:43 pm · Post a Comment · posted by fsherman
Capt. Mike Williams asks for a show of hand from people in “Kelly’s Third Edition” who’ve been affected by the boarding-house problem. Around a dozen hands go up.
“We’re not going to go ask for a gestapo to go knock on people’s doors and ask if they’re renting … but look at the excess trash cans. Talk to the local mailman whose delivering to one mailbox for three or four families. This came to the forefront in our neighborhood because of increased traffic … when you have people out there with guns … it becomes a concern.” Estimates 22 such units have been put in in a two block neighborhood.
Another problem: The infrastructure isn’t designed for this kind of packed development and they wind up with sewage overflows.
What is the loophole that allows these owners to do this, Williams asks? He called the city and was told flat out that it wasn’t allowed or legal–so how come these owners are getting away with it?
Linda Milligan, another resident: “I guess I’m a little bit confused tonight … There’s two things I just do not understand and I need to understand.”
The owner has signed a statement about density of development: He acknowledges the lot is for one family only, no portion rented out to anyone else. “That says one thing and one thing only–renters cannot live in there separately.” She has someone there who has lived in one of the lockout units.
Mary (no last name given): “I did rent one of these units–it was probably my fault, I didn’t know the rules.” It was a house divided into a duplex, though with control of the power all on the other side (cable was on her side–she says that meant she wound up paying for the other side’s cable TV as well).
Milligan resumes: She argues that the signed document should give the city grounds for invalidating the rental agreement. “To me, that gives us the right, whether you put any more ordinance on the books or not.”
