Mr. Held really ought to quit using the word "slumlord". It makes you look like pinhead. Oops, I went and did it. What am I trying to say......you know....... those people from Bancroft............there just ..eh...kind of funny, you know.
Craig Miller Former Pinhead from Fulton [EMAIL PROTECTED] ----- Original Message ----- From: "Dave Held" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Thursday, March 28, 2002 2:08 PM Subject: [Mpls] City Zoning > The contents of this email have been forwarded to not only Robert Lilligren, > but to other various city officials without any response. I am hoping to > find out why this continues to occur - and why the city zoning promotes such > actions. > > We are dealing with this issue in Bancroft. > > A landlord is able to buy a property and squeeze every dime they can out of > it while making no improvements. The way it stands now, the City doesn't go > after landlords who let their properties get run down, only the landlords > that make improvements or changes are penalized and exposed to numerous > requirements and costs. Landlords exploiting renters is commonplace. They > try to get their renters to pay for improvements that he should make. The > City site plan ordinance supports this "slumlord" behavior by laying the > responsibility on the business owner- renter not the landlord. It makes no > sense that a renter should have to pay out $15,000 in landscaping fees to > landscape a landlord's entire mall. On top of it, currently there is a > commercial property shortage in Minneapolis so renters/potential business > owners are especially a business owner who is looking for a restaurant. > > This is a city wide problem. The City is now enforcing site plans which is > good. They have put "some teeth" into the ordinance. They are definitley on > the right track. However, they need to go one step further and get to the > root of the problem. A responsible landlord will do the work and pass the > cost on to the renter. But too many times, especially in the inner city, > slumlords take full advantage of the ordinance. They are actually rewarded > for their poor, irresponsible behavior. Not only can they get the renters to > fix up their property, the City enforces it. A slumlord is left alone by the > City when he/she does not maintain their property. However, when someone > gets in there to open a business or by a property they are hit by every end. > City Planning, Zoning, Health Department, Inspections, Licensing. > > Unfortunately, there is nothing in the Zoning books that require the > landlord to pay for Site Plan costs. Generally the City goes after the > renter first who then goes to the landlord. A good, responsible landlord > will cover the costs but that doesn't happen in many cases. Also, in this > particular case, not only does he have to landscape the area directly in > front of his business, but the entire section of the mall owned by the > landlord. It's not fair but that's how the books read. > > Is there someone with more experience on this topic and how we can assist > the renter open his business? > > David Held > Bancroft > > _______________________________________ > 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
