Kudos Mr. Luce for bringing this to the forum! He has caught the spark in the ether. All this work and the extraordinary cost generates from the behavior of a tenant. Not the landlord. Because this citizen/tenant routinely broke the law, the house was condemned! We the taxpayers killed the house,for the crimes committed by a non-law abider. This is being 504ed.
How much of the taxpayers money will be spent on rehabbing this house? How much govt. time will it cost to bring it online, how much time has been spent all ready? All of this to save a two bedroom house, enough to house one small family. I can see why bulldozing works. Just different people get employed. Bring on the smart codes. Why we waited this long, is beyond me. Craig A. Miller Former Fultonite [EMAIL PROTECTED] ----- Original Message ----- From: Gregory Luce <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Friday, November 09, 2001 12:25 PM Subject: [Mpls] Housing Code: No. 1 > I thought it would be useful to bring some real context to the debate > about the housing code and RT Rybak's and others' issues about "smart > codes" (something I support so long as it does not ultimately jeopardize > tenant safety). So, occasionally I'll post to this list the status of a > property Project 504 is trying to bring back online by helping the > owner/landlord bring it out of its current status as a boarded and > vacant building. I hope you'll indulge me, ask questions, comment on the > process, or think about how complicated it can be at times--or just say > it's not so useful to post such information here. So, here goes (we have > the permission of the owner/landlord to do this, though we agreed to > keep the address and owner's name confidential out of respect for privacy): > > The building is a single family two bedroom home in a north Minneapolis > neighborhood. The Hennepin County Attorney brought a nuisance action > against the prior owner (a member of the current owner's family) because > of illegal activity at the property. Ultimately, the county attorney's > action shut the building down until an acceptable management plan could > be submitted and accepted by the county attorney. I suspect that the the > community was in favor of shutting down the building. > > We helped the landlord develop the management plan, and it has been > accepted by the county attorney's office. In the meantime, with the > building boarded on account of the nuisance action, the building was > condemned, and the landlord came to us after the condemnation. The > condemnation, of course, meant that the owner had to apply for and > obtain a code compliance inspection, a long process indeed. The owner > paid a $300 nonrefundable fee to housing inspections, who scheduled a > full code compliance inspection. At that inspection, the following > inspectors went through the property: building inspector, housing > inspector, plumbing inspector, electrical inspector, and two inspectors > associated with boiler/furnace systems. It was truly a sight to see six > different city cars pull up to the property for the inspection. About > three weeks later, the city issued a list of required repairs, all of > which I've listed at the end of this e-mail. The list is unusual only in > the sense that it really is not as extensive as most that accompany > properties that are vacant and boarded. Except in very few instances, > the text describing the repair needed is the exact text provided by the > inspector. I encourage you to read through some of them to think about > what is now required for this property. > > The building is a solid building in relatively good shape (only two > housing maintenance code violations were cited), but the code-compliance > inspection, as expected, cited all sorts of needed repairs, many that > may cost substantial money. In addition, the landlord is required to put > down $2,000 in cash with the City as a deposit to allow permits to be > issued for repairs and to assure that repairs are made within six > months. That has been done, with Project 504's help. Our task now is to > figure out available financial resources for this landlord, including > potential funding from MCDA or other neighborhood community development > agencies. This is not a sophisticated landlord, in the sense that the > landlord has other properties or other resources to tap into to make > these repairs. The landlord is, however, committed to bringing the > property back on-line to provide affordable housing to a good tenant. > That's why we'll work with this property and the landlord. > > It is not my intent to criticize anyone with respect to this process. > The city inspectors, for instance, have to follow current requirements > of the ordinance and building codes (though I do have some criticism I > will share with the inspections department about the need for them to > provide more specificity as to what is needed--it is rather troubling to > pay for and get an inspection and not know what is actually wrong with, > for instance, the plumbing). I am hoping, however, that this post and > the several that may follow it to update folks on our progress will shed > some light on what is currently required to bring a building out of > condemnation. I hope these posts bring ideas from everyone to the > forefront, especially as the issue of "smart codes" gets much more > public scrutiny and, perhaps, approval. In the end, I hope that we can > report that the building is no longer boarded and vacant and a family > has moved into the house. > > Gregory Luce > N.Phillips > > Repairs Required > Building Inspection > > 1 Raise grade around building for positive drainage > 2 Repair or replace uneven sidewalk > 3 Tuck point chimney and foundation > 4 Tear off and re-roof house and garage to code > 5 Make correction to exterior steps to provide rise and run to code > 6 Repair broken basement windows and maintain ventilation requirement by > keeping windows openable > 7 Replace rotted and broken roof decking (mostly around chimney) > 8 Provide exterior and interior handrails (in reach) at all steps and > stairways. Provide guardrails around all landings that are more than 30" > above grade, including along open side of basement stairs > 9 Provide smoke detectors on every level and in every bedroom > > Plumbing Inspection > > 10 Water Service: Bring meter and valves up to code > 11 Water Piping: Bring all water piping up to code and sizing--back to > water meter > 12 Gas Piping: Bring all gas piping up to code and proper sizing > 13 Waste & Vents: Bring all waste and vent up to code > 14 Floor drains: locate and bring up to code > 15 Laundry tray: make workable, bring up to code > 16 Water Heater: Bring water heater up to code; make workable > 17 Washer: Legal hookup > 18 Dryer: Gas and vent legal hookup > 19 Kitchen sink: bring up to code and make workable > 20 Gas range: if gas, install to proper size and install code valve > 21 Bathroom water closet: new closet; bring up to code > 22 Bathtub: code faucet and bring up to code > 23 Basin: bring up to code > > Electrical Inspection > > 24 Basement: ground service to requirements of the 1999 National > Electric Code; install a ceiling light in northeast room of basement > 25 First Floor Living Room: install a paddle fan box for support of the > paddle fan or install a conventional light fixture > 26 Kitchen: install a grounding type receptacle for the stove area > 27 Northwest bedroom: add one wall receptacle > 28 Bathroom: remove swag light fixture and install a conventional wall > mounted fixture > 29 Attic area: install a light fixture for the ceiling box or install a > blank cover for the box > 30 Garage: wiring to meet code or remove all wiring to it and in it > 31 Repair or replace all broken or missing switches, receptacles, light > fixtures, fixture glass, paddle fans and wall plates > > MWA Inspection > > 32 Replace or repair all damaged duct in the basement > 33 Replace or repair damaged return grilles > 34 All supply air registers must have operable dampers > > Gas and Furnace Inspection > > 35 Clean burner > 36 ORSAT test furnace > 37 Install combustion air to code > 38 Install venting to code > 39 Service, repair, or replace all controls or install complete new > heating system > > Housing Inspection > > 40 Provide required handrails to basement > 41 Repair and refinish deteriorated walls in bedroom closet > > > > > > > _______________________________________ > Minneapolis Issues Forum - A Civil City Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy > Post messages to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest option, and more: > http://e-democracy.org/mpls _______________________________________ Minneapolis Issues Forum - A Civil City Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest option, and more: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
