My gut told me to stay out of this; I wish I had. The last thing I want to do is defend Gregge Johnson. I don't know him, but I do know his properties. He is a bad property manager.
I want to make a few more points and then drop this emotional thread. Dennis wrote: I don't doubt for one minute that some absentee landlords actively recruit level II sex offenders in my neighborhood - Jordan. Otherwise, statistically, it's an impossibility that six of them would be living in two houses next to each other, in the same neighborhood. Bill responds: This doesn't prove landlords are recruiting level IIIs. A few years ago I purchased a very tough building in St. Paul. The previous landlord used a non-profit called "project hope" to source tenants. Project Hope recruited me to continue with this relationship. I welcomed their applicants to apply, but was insistent that they meet the criteria. In short order they realized that none of their clients would meet my criteria and they now take their applicants to someone else. Tenants with shaky pasts must work hard to find a landlord willing to "give them a chance." It doesn't surprise me that few landlords are willing to take a chance on level III's. This MIGHT explain why so many end up renting from one (or a few) landlords. The only way to learn why this is happening is to put the key people at the table to discuss it. Dennis wrote: If you think that there is such a thing as a substandard property that IS NOT part of a neighborhood's problem, then I submit you don't have any "sub-standard" properties in the neighborhood in which you live. Bill responds: Like Dyna's house? Come on, we all know houses that -- to quote Merriam -- "fall short of the standard or norm". Yet, those houses are occupied by good people that are an asset to the neighborhood. I have many near me. Jon wrote: I've yet to see one person lynched, raped, whipped, castrated, murdered etc., because someone thought they were a slumlord or wanted to justify their treatment of said slumlord. Bill Responds: I was assaulted in my parking lot two years ago. I was hurt badly. The police made an arrest and charged the individual. This guy jumped me because I told him to park his car in a parking spot and not in the middle of the driveway. He justified his actions to the police by calling me a slumlord. Which I am not. In another example, a landlord was murdered by one of his tenants 1-2 years ago. I unfortunately cannot find a reference, but will if I am challenged. How many people must you know before you acknowledge your demagogic language? It stuns me that two landlords have said slumlord is offensive and you choose to dismiss us. Jon wrote: To be clear, it is not a term bantered around lightly or used on anyone who displeases us. We have a lot of good property owners and we praise and support them. We have a number of struggling property owners who we work with both out front and behind the scenes to try and get them the help they need or to find a more viable option for them and the community. Bill Responds: I am glad to hear this. Is it new? I owned rental property in Jordan and never heard of JACC's efforts to work with landlords. A year ago, I gave up on the North side and sold everything. There were multiple reasons I left, but Poor Property Managers like Gregge Johnson was one of them. Regards, Bill Cullen Whittier Landlord REMINDERS: 1. Think a member has violated the rules? Email the list manager at [EMAIL PROTECTED] before continuing it on the list. 2. Don't feed the troll! Ignore obvious flame-bait. For state and national discussions see: http://e-democracy.org/discuss.html For external forums, see: http://e-democracy.org/mninteract ________________________________ Minneapolis Issues Forum - A City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Un-subscribe, etc. at: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
