I've actually spoken with a number of the neighborhood folks in that area, and there are many examples of law breaking, I probably should have detailed them....
The article noted a few of them though, regarding the environmental hazards, etc that inspections prosecuted - charges dismissed by a jury. Residents say the jury was lead to believe that Azzam didn't understand the laws, was only trying to do good, etc. although at the time he was warned repeatedly and chose to fly in the face of the regulations and basically risk his luck in court. Sad. Regarding the "laws are for the little people" statement, Basim (not his brother Azzam) said that publicly when he was charged in connection with the "Herron-gate" scandals....so far he's right - Brian went to jail, and Basim hasn't. --- Constance Nompelis <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > David Piehl writes: > > > > A more appropriate title for the article might be > > "Laws are for the Little People". > > CN: This is a rather inflammatory statement, since I > hightly doubt that Mr. Azzam Sabri said it. > > > As detailed in the article, Sabri broke laws with > > impunity and now tries to hold himself up as some > > sort > > of "victim". > > CN: Umm, I read the article and I don't recall > anything about breaking laws with impunity. What I > recall is that the houses were grandfathered into > their current code violation because they were both > built on the lot before such codes were in place. > Due > to the fact that the buildings have been vacant, > (just > like mine before I bought it) code grandfathering > goes > out the window and you have to bring everything up > to > current standards. (Unless you can argue that such > updating would be ridiculously wasteful, as in the > case of tearing down a perfectly decent house.) > > My familiarity with this situation extends only as > far > as the article I read, but I am rather sensitive to > what I perceive as a tendency to judge someone > harshly > because of his last name. > > If Mr. Piehl is privy to some specific information > about law-breaking with regard to this situation, > then > perhaps he should share that info instead of > engaging > in what could be perceived as a smear. > > Connie Nompelis > Ventura Village > > We've heard this story before, it > > matches the tactics of the other Sabri brothers, > > specifically Basim as documented by the FBI > > investigation. > > > > Someday, perhaps, they will be held to the > standard > > of > > the laws like almost everybody else is. > > > > List Manager wrote: > > > > >Zoning dispute pits housing rented by Somalis and > > rehabbed by Azzam Sabri against the Lowry Hill > > neighborhood organization and city zoning > > rules... > > > > > > >http://citypages.com/databank/24/1188/article11482.asp?page=2 > > > > > >David Brauer > > >List manager > > > > Chris Johnson wrote: > > I disagree with the editorializing spin the writer > > of > > this article injected. He calls East Lowry a > "tony > > neighborhood," for example. That's not exactly > what > > I'd call that area, having been there many times > > and having several friends who live there -- one > of > > whom's fiance was beat to death in the street > where > > she lives by a group of unarrested assailants, > which > > is not exactly the kind of thing most people would > > > imagine happens in tony neighborhoods. > > > > The writer also claims an affordable housing > crunch, > > without providing any evidence to support that > > claim, > > and despite the city's large housing vacancy rate. > > > He > > also neatly sidesteps the issue of one of the two > > buildings having been renovated, but the other one > > appears to be still in a dilapidated state. > > > > I don't think the house rented by the Somali > family > > has anything to do with the argument, either. > It's > > a > > red herring at best. > > > > > > __________________________________ > > Do you Yahoo!? > > Yahoo! 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