Tuesday, June 16, 2009

Who's protecting the slumlord?

After Anon commented on George Chin's connections with Dennis Churchwell and his $20,000 donation to Nagin's 06 campaign, Karen brought up some interesting issues which have occured regarding blighted properties which Chin owns in the Carrollton/Claiborne area.

The house on 8117 Apple street was apparently declared blighted by the city. However, Winston Reid, the Director of Code Enforcement.......never signed the judgement which would allow the city to seize the property. Karen and other folks in the neighborhood have made repeated attempts to find out why the judgement was never signed but have not been given an answer from Reid's office.

Here is a letter Karen sent to Councilperson Midura and Reid:

Dear Mr Reid and Councilwoman Midura,

I have a few questions I would like answered.

1. Is there any Code Enforcement being done in Northwest Carrollton?

2. Why was the house at 8117 Apple St never issued a signed blight declaration in 2007 even after a judgement was rendered and how is it that he has been able to continue to leave it as a hazard?

AFTER the house was received a blight declaration it was set on fire and has sat that way for a year.

Last week the owner willfully demolished the chimneys and dumped the fetid contents on to the lawn where it still sits as of 6 pm on Sunday.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/karenapricot/3011418718/

As we go through the budgets hearings I would like to know if the areas of the City that do not have Code Enforcement will receive the same tax bills as those that do? We have been very patient with this property because I was assured back in 2007 that he was being fined. Could you please tell us what the fine is and what the fine structure looks like?

I know this house is on the docket for demolition review at the NCDC. We plan to attend as a Neighborhood to see what his plans are for redevelopment.

To that end, Mr Munster could you share with us with his redevelopment plan is in the application packet?

Thank you very much,

Karen Gadbois

Karen said the fines can run as high as $500/day. Regardless of the fine....the judgment was already issued so the property should have been seized.

Interesting that the house was set on fire immediately following the judgement...no?

Why did Reid not sign the judgement? Is he protecting Chin because of his political connections to the mayor?

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Didn't Mose Jefferson (or one of the brothers) have a $100,000 fine against him for illegally tearing down a protected building Uptown?

And that went unpaid for years?

Maybe is still unpaid?

matter said...

If you want to check out some unusual property dealings, check these real estate transfers at http://www.degenerate.com/archives/000251.html

Civitch said...

Mose was fined at least $25,000 (could be up to $75,000) for demolishing a house in the Irish Channel with no permit. It has never, ever been paid. One might want to email Paul May at Safety and Permits for confirmation on the amount: pamay@cityofno.com

Lagniappe: it happened during a raging thunderstorm, and yet Mose claimed that the demolition company decided, totally on its own, to go to the site and take the building down.