Funny how we've heard NOTHING about these matters for YEARS but now that an election is coming up, Jimmy wants to come off like he's tough on Slumlords.
Citing Mixed Victory in 418 W. College Avenue Housing Board Ruling, Mayor Encourages Citizen Support of Stronger Occupancy Laws/No Discretionary Powers for HBAA
Salisbury - Mayor James Ireton, Jr. today reiterated his commitment to solving the issue of over-occupancy in Salisbury neighborhoods in the wake of a Housing Board of Adjustments and Appeals ruling which allowed an over-occupancy situation to continue.
The Housing Board of Adjustments and Appeals—a quasi-judicial panel comprised of members nominated for service by the Mayor, and voted upon by the Salisbury City Council—found that the rental at 418 W. College Avenue is an over-occupancy. However, acting within their discretion, the board granted an adjustment which allows owners Kevin and Kristine Adams until the end of the lease period (4 ½ months) to remedy the situation without penalty.
Mayor Ireton, while recognizing the board’s discretionary power, pointed to the ruling as an example of how current law allows the system to fail Salisbury homeowners by stacking the deck in favor of rental owners who knowingly put more than the allowed number of tenants in their rentals.
In a letter to HBAA Chair Lynne Bratten, Mayor Ireton wrote, “The Housing Board of Adjustments and Appeals, acting within its discretion, essentially rendered Neighborhood Services and Code Compliance powerless to enforce our occupancy laws in this case. The definition of ‘Family’ is quite clear, and the law is meant to be upheld – not bent or skirted to serve landlords at the whim of the HBAA. If rental property owners know that the end game in any case brought before the HBAA is a ‘get out of jail free card’, why should they feel compelled to comply at all?”
Proposed legislation currently under consideration by the Salisbury City Council would allow for the suspension of the landlord’s unit registration and/or rental license for a period of 3 months for the first over-occupancy offense, 6 months for the second offense, and a full year for the third offense. In addition to that proposal, the Mayor is also forwarding legislative changes which would take discretionary power away from the HBAA. Mayor Ireton believes that the board exists to determine if the housing official properly interpreted the City Code. The mayor does not believe that the HBAA should be involved in any more than making that determination.
Mayor Ireton urged City Council members to act decisively to pass the legislation, and to consider further measures aimed at fixing Salisbury’s housing codes.
The City Council will discuss the legislation at its March 2nd work session, at 4:30 p.m. in Council Chambers, third floor of the Government Office Building, downtown. The Mayor encourages citizens to attend.
In Brief: It is the Mayor’s position that current law allows rental owners to violate occupancy provisions with no real consequences. The Mayor supports legislation aimed at allowing more significant penalties for over-occupancy violations, and removing discretionary power from the Housing Board of Adjustments and Appeals.
DelMarVa's Premier Source for News, Opinion, Analysis, and Human Interest Contact Publisher Joe Albero at alberobutzo@wmconnect.com or 410-430-5349
5 comments:
Joe....this is a letter of tribute to you that is well deserved. I know you ran for mayor and for some strange reason you didn't get in....but.... having said that I can tell you that more people became aware of your blog and more and more people turn to this source for the best news and information.. BUT... what some people may NOT KNOW is that this blog has changed lives for the better. Because of your blog people have a voice that was NEVER available to them before. The people and businesses who have run this town for years are also reading your blog because they now are being held accountable like never before. If you were to mention a business in this blog people become aware of it. If you print a problem with a situation or a business, person become aware of it and start questioning how things are done and pay attention in ways that may never have occurred to them in the past. You give the community a voice by educating the masses. I don't start a day without this blog. There are weeks when things may not apply to me personally but I always learn something. And then, there are times that I have made a post to draw attention to a problem and when I have...things have always changed for the better. Joe.... you may not have made Mayor BUT your service to the community is far more reaching and truthful in content than anything done by elected officials. Some times the best place to be is on the outside of the everyday fray so that your voice has MUCH MORE impact. Thank you from the bottom of my heart Joe for changing things in this town I call home. Bless you.
Was that slumlord fined?
Renters are what % verses home owners Salisbury is a rental town propertyowners do not live in city limits ?
I.c.e officers in Raleigh N.C entered a house for a raid. It had so many occupants that during initial entry several were sleeping on the floor in front of door ways. An officer tripped and discharged his weapon. Killing two people and one officer. This house had forty immigrants in in a two bedroom home. T.v. interviews told that they all paid twenty dollars a month and sent most money to mexico to family.
Apparently this house had 3 people in it. 2 brothers and a friend. I drove by it earlier this evening and saw one car. It looked like a 3 bedroom house. Not sure how 3 people living in a house is over occupied.
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