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Nothing like re-animating the corpse of a dead argument. Perhaps in hopes that no one remembers the outcome of the last go-round on this canard, we see again the "scandal" of the property transfer revived. [It's ALIVE!!!!] The short version reads as follows: Act 1 Vacant premises - absentee landlord - nuisance house -seized by Ramsey County for unpaid property tax. Act 2 Nuisance house deemed irreparable - bulldozed - property now vacant lot. Act 3 Next-door neighbor wants to buy vacant lot to enable kitchen remodel [thereby increasing home value and property tax revenue to St. Paul] - unpaid property tax exceeds fair market value of vacant lot - Jay Benanav sponsors City Council action to sell lot to neighbor for appraised value of lot (plus applicable fees). Act 4 Scurrilous claims that somehow JB was engaging in corruption appear on this issues list and are repeated by the breathless Tom Lyden. Intrepid issues list contributor [not me] tracks down the City Hall paper trail and determines that the higher amount is the unpaid property tax on the lot with a rental property. Obviously, the homeowner is not going to buy the property for the property tax debt, when the fair market value of the property is lower (duh!). The sale price was for the appraised value of the vacant lot, thereby debunking the charge against JB. Issue dropped on this list like a hot potato. No correction from TL (alas). FIN My memory of the posting does not extend to the actual address of the property, but I believe the first transaction was the sale by Ramsey County to the St. Paul HRA, which [if I am right about the particular transaction] is located at http://www.co.ramsey.mn.us/cb/ma/minutes/m072898.htm That sale was for one dollar plus fees. Thus, the later sale to the neighboring homeowner actually netted the HRA about $7,000 and returned the lot to the property tax rolls. Just the sort of result we have come to expect from Jay Benanav, which is why he is widely respected and reelected by overwhelming margins in Ward 4. Michael Lewis Mac-Groveland ________________________________________________________________ The best thing to hit the internet in years - Juno SpeedBand! Surf the web up to FIVE TIMES FASTER! Only $14.95/ month - visit www.juno.com to sign up today! _____________________________________________ NEW ADDRESS FOR LIST: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To subscribe, modify subscription, or get your password - visit: http://www.mnforum.org/mailman/listinfo/stpaul Archive Address: http://www.mnforum.org/mailman/private/stpaul/ _____________________________________________ For state and national discussions see: http://e-democracy.org/discuss.html For external forums, see: http://e-democracy.org/mninteract
