INC NEWS - [pac2] Durham Housing Inpections

bragin at nc.rr.com bragin at nc.rr.com
Mon Mar 12 10:45:29 EDT 2007


One sees similar problems along the 1600 and 1700 blocks of Avondale
Dr., especially on the west side of the street, where several formerly
owner-occupied homes have been abandoned and foreclosed. Although
Avondale has some other issues, particularly traffic related, that drive
down its desirability, the large number of poorly maintained rental
properties is a big part of its overall shabbiness, and helps to
discourage those who want to make an honest investment in a home. 

curious that Rick Soles' name also surfaces as the property manager for
a number of the most troublesome addresses in those blocks.

Barry Ragin

----- Original Message -----
From: Cathie McIntyre <cathieannmc at hotmail.com>
Date: Monday, March 12, 2007 10:33 am
Subject: Re: [pac2] Durham Housing Inpections
To: TheOcean1 at aol.com, rollins at appliedinformation.com,
david.phelps7 at verizon.net, ken at seagrovesrealty.com,
pac2 at Yahoogroups.Com, inc-List at Durhaminc.Org

> 
> Please let me say a bit about this whole issue of property 
> inspections.  
> First, I think those of you who write appear to be responsible and 
> decent 
> landlords.  There are, however, plenty of landlords who want only 
> the money 
> and are willing to let a property fall apart around them as they 
> rent to 
> less and less desirable tenants.
> 
> I have lived at 3209 Alabama Ave. for about 11 years.  The property 
> next 
> door to me has been a problem for the past 9 years.  Over the 
> years,I have 
> contacted the property manager, Rick Soles, and the owners, Mr. and 
> Mrs. 
> Mickey Broadway.  Their attorney sent me a letter saying I should 
> not 
> contact them any more.  Right now the 3211A address has newspapers 
> on all of 
> the windows and an unlicensed truck in the driveway.  There are no 
> utilities 
> turned on, and the people do not seem to be staying there.  They 
> drop by 
> occasionally.
> 
> The last two renters were drug dealers.  The police are called to 
> this 
> address frequently.
> 
> I feel sorry for the poor people who live next door at 3211B -- a 
> very nice 
> family from Mexico and great neighbors.
> 
> I tried to sell my house a few years ago but it didn't sell.  
> People 
> commented to realtors that the place next door was the problem.
> 
> And indeed it IS a problem.  I don't know what else to do.  I am 
> not wealthy 
> enough to go to court over this, but I'd sure like to know how to 
> get this 
> property declared a nuisance.
> 
> I applaud the idea of property inspections for rentals.  Landlords 
> must be 
> held accountable and all people have the right to fair and decent 
> housing.
> Cathie McIntyre
> 
> 
> >From: TheOcean1 at aol.com
> >To: rollins at appliedinformation.com, david.phelps7 at verizon.net,     
>   
> >ken at seagrovesrealty.com, pac2 at Yahoogroups.Com, inc-List at Durhaminc.Org
> >Subject: Re: [pac2] Durham Housing Inpections
> >Date: Mon, 12 Mar 2007 09:26:54 EDT
> >
> >
> >
> >Screening of tenants! This conversation is about to take a very 
> productive>turn!
> >David Rollins you are entirely correct!
> >
> >Properly screening applicants would save the landlords, the 
> community, the
> >Police, the courts, and a few others, a whole lot of trouble!
> >
> >Anderson
> >
> >In a message dated 3/12/2007 5:19:47 A.M. Eastern Daylight Time,
> >rollins at appliedinformation.com writes:
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >My past rental tenants know me as a fair and evenhanded guy,  even 
> those>against whom I've had to begin eviction proceedings.
> >
> >My  point is that you should screen your tenenats carefully.  When 
> I moved
> >down here from NY and had to rent a house my references were barely
> >investigated, even though my divorce left me with terrible credit. 
>  
> >Becoming a landlord
> >carries significant business risks, if and if you're no  more 
> choosy than 
> >the
> >credit card companies who flood my mailbox than you  shouldn't be 
> surprised>to have a few
> >writeoffs.
> >
> >I'm from New  Orleans, where they still have drive through daquiri 
> stands 
> >and
> >I wouldn't be  surprised if you could drink a beer at the 
> magistrate's  
> >desk!
> >
> >dcr
> >
> >--- Original Message  ---
> >From:"TheOcean1 at aol.From:"The<TheOcean1 at aol.The>
> >Sent:Sun 11-3-07   16:30
> >To:"david.phelps7 at To:"david.phelps7<david.phelps7 at david.phelp>, 
> "David C.
> >Rollins"  <rollins at appliedinforollins@app>, "ken at seagrovesrealty,
> >"ken at sea<ken at seagrovesrealtyken@>, "pac2 at Yahoogroups., 
> >"pac2 at Y<pac2 at Yahoogroups.pac>,
> >"inc-List at Durhaminc., "inc-Li<inc-List at Durhaminc.inc>
> >Cc:
> >Subj:Re: [pac2] Durham Housing  Inpections
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >I have to agree with Dave Phelps here, and would  even offer a 
> suggestion 
> >to
> >David C Rollins, and anyone else who's old  ethics are tired.
> >
> >Ken was evenhanded suggesting that landlords  should provide 
> decent  
> >housing
> >and fix problems in units, while  tenants should pay the rent 
> they've  
> >agreed
> >to, and not cause problems  to their units.
> >
> >You might re-examine your own posting, to see if  it may be  a 
> public 
> >airing
> >of your own internal debate. Perhaps your  own "young ethics vs  
> old 
> >ethics"
> >discussion. Easy to understand  someone down on their luck due to  
> divorce 
> >or
> >lots of other reasons,  spending their last $10 on a bottle of wine.
> >Just take exactly what you  mentioned, and imagine running into  
> yourself>today, as Dave Phelps  eluded.
> >
> >Old David, (the real estate investor) visits his property  where he's
> >evicting the tenant and he's lost 3 months rent so far. He  opens 
> the door
> >to find
> >young David sitting in the dark, eating ice  cream, with a bag of 
> weed in  
> >his
> >lap next to a take out box from the  Angus Barn. You might  
> suddenly find 
> >you
> >have older ethics than you  thought.
> >
> >This isn't intended as a slam, just a recommendation to  look 
> again at  the
> >present David, one who still remembers and  understands the young 
> David's>perspective and chosen course of  action, yet also 
> understands current
> >David, the
> >landlord's logical  action.
> >
> >We can understand without acceptance, because we've been  there 
> and  done
> >some of that, but that doesn't mean we still agree.  I'm confident 
> that a
> >little
> >introspection might reveal that the Old  David learned enough from 
> the  
> >Young
> >David, to change his course and  his actions enough to call  
> himself a real
> >estate investor  today.
> >Otherwise he might still be sitting in the dark, and would have  
> no  beer 
> >to
> >offer.
> >
> >With an unusually high percentage of rental  vs owner occupied 
> homes  in 
> >this
> >city, Durham needs all the  well-balanced landlords and tenants it 
> can  
> >get.
> >Our city-wide  collective advertising could say:
> >
> >"Want to rent, own or invest in  a truly great place? If you 
> intend to  pay
> >your rent or mortgage and  expect to maintain the property as if 
> you are
> >participating in the  re-birth of a neighborhood, come to Durham! 
> All 
> >others
> >need
> >not  apply."
> >
> >The buildings aren't what is making Durham a destination  for cool 
> people,
> >it's the cool people who are already here! Where  else could you 
> find  real
> >estate investors who can still remember what  it was like to be at 
> a low
> >point,
> >looking up? I'd like to think  Durham is the place you'll most likely
> >encounter
> >the landlord who'll  extend a gentle hand to the tenant struggling 
> to  pay 
> >the
> >rent, while  they slam a hammer down onto the one that pays with 
> profits>from
> >dealing drugs in the unit.
> >
> >I suspect David Rollins is a  perfect example of the landlords 
> that  are
> >changing this City for the  better, and that very few of the  
> slumlord 
> >types
> >subscribe to this  listserv. If Ken Gasch seemed a little prudish, 
> because
> >of the
> >beer  the complaining citizen was holding, since I still haven't  
> seen that
> >N&O,
> >I'd bet it's because of the respect he feels for the code   
> enforcement 
> >staff
> >of the city. Virtually sure he feels about them as I do,  that  
> they are 
> >much
> >like our police, but in less hazardous duty. If  you need to make 
> a  Police
> >report, it might be wise to put the beer  down, especially if the  
> Police 
> >are
> >accompanied by press  photographers.
> >Ken and I would suggest you do so out of respect for the  Police 
> or code
> >enforcement officer.
> >
> >Or put down the beer  so you don't start long diatribes on the  
> PAC2 
> >listserv
> >from folks  like me. The whole conversation could be summarized in 
>  three
> >sentences:
> >
> >Ken Gasch: "Get a load of the good tenant  talking  to code 
> enforcement,>making the complaint with a beer in his  hand. Since I 
> drink  beer myself,
> >that
> >wouldn't lower his credibility  in my mind in the least.   Not!"
> >
> >David C Rollins: "I  don't know. There was a time in my life when 
> I  would
> >have had some  reasonable gripes and could have been holding a 
> beer while
> >expressing  them"
> >
> >Dave Phelps: "People need to do what they say they are  going to 
> do  when
> >they sign a lease, or all the landlords will go  broke and 
> there'll be no
> >half
> >gallon containers Ben & Jerry's*  "
> >
> >Bill Anderson: "I love this city! It's by dialogues like  this,  
> between>citizens like you, that this city grows and matures,  and 
> finds the many
> >balance
> >points it needs to be decidedly different  from other cities. And 
> these  
> >crazy
> >listservs that give us the place  to do it!"
> >
> >As Durham grows, may its heart grow larger, and its fist  firmer.
> >
> >Would like to thank you for the beer, if there's any  left, and 
> can I  
> >borrow
> >your pressure washer?
> >
> >Bill  Anderson
> >*Availability of Ben & Jerry's in quantities of this size is  
> unknown  and
> >should not be purchased without first consulting your  doctor.
> >
> >
> >In a message dated 3/11/2007 2:10:08 P.M. Eastern Daylight  Time,
> >david.phelps7 at david.phelps7@<WBR>veri
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >"Tired old ethics" like honoring one's   commitments?  Keeping 
> one's word?
> >
> >I sincerely hope that as a real  estate investor,  you don't have 
> too many
> >tenants that subscribe to  your own priorities of  self-indulgence 
> over>financial
> >responsibility.  If you do, I recommend  you buy a  whole quarter 
> pound of
> >dope
> >and a gallon of Ben and Jerry's before   you go belly-up this 
> time, because 
> >we
> >all know how hard that tax-free cash  can  be to come by.
> >
> >Thanks for making Ken's point so   eloquently.
> >
> >David Phelps
> >Northgate Park
> >
> >
> >
> >-----  Original Message -----
> >From: _David C. Rollins_ (_mailto:rollins at mailto:rollins at mailto_
> >(mailto:rollins at appliedinformation.com) )
> >To:  _ken at seagrovesrealtTo:  _mailto:ken at seagrovemailto:ken at _
> >(mailto:ken at seagrovesrealty.com) )   ;
> >_pac2 at Yahoogroups._pac2@_mailto:pac2 at mailto:pac2 at mai_
> >(mailto:pac2 at Yahoogroups.Com) )   ; _inc-List at Durhaminc
> >(_mailto:inc-List at mailto:incmai_ (mailto:inc-List at Durhaminc.Org) )
> >Sent:  Saturday, March 10, 2007 2:47  PM
> >Subject: Re: [pac2] Durham  Housing  Inpections
> >
> >
> >
> >Please call off your tired old  ethics.
> >
> >I was once  evicted from my apartment because my assets  were 
> frozen in
> >divorce  proceedings.  Because of wage garnishment  I was reduced 
> to 
> >working
> >for
> >cash at a fraction of my consulting  rate, and my electricity was 
> turned 
> >off
> >due
> >to nonpayment.
> >
> >I  suppose by your reasoning I should have  subsisted on beans and 
> rice.
> >Instead I went to a nice restaurant, then  bought a pint  of ben & 
> jerry's>and a
> >bag of weed.
> >
> >As a real  estate  investor I agree with your other points.  Now 
> that I've
> >made the   mortgage payments for this month, please excuse me 
> while I have  
> >a
> >beer.  There's more on the back porch -- help  yourself.
> >
> >Your  friend,
> >
> >David Cordell Rollins
> >911 W.  Club Blvd. (the Cole-Couch  House)
> >Durham North Carolina
> >
> >---  Original Message ---
> >From:"Ken  Gasch"  <ken at seagrovesrealtyken@>
> >Sent:Sat 10-3-07    13:52
> >To:"pac2 at YahoogroupToToTo:"pac2@<pac2 at Yahoogroups.pac>,  
> >"inc-List at Durhaminc,,
> >"inc-List<inc-List at Durhaminc.inc>
> >Cc:
> >Subj:[pac2]  Durham Housing  Inpections
> >
> >Please correct me if I have jumped to  the wrong conclusion  here.
> >
> >I saw a photo of our good friend and  housing inspector,  Rick 
> Hester, on 
> >the
> >front page of the N&O's  Durham News this  morning.  He was taking 
> down a
> >housing  complaint from Gary Gentry, a  tenant, who was drinking a 
> beer in
> >the
> >photo?
> >
> >I have nothing  against beer.  I love beer, but  this man is a few 
> months>behind on his  rent and had his electricity  turned off a 
> couple of weeks
> >ago, as
> >per the  caption, and he spends  the money he does have on beer?  
> Also, try
> >swearing out a  complaint with the criminal magistrate while 
> drinking a
> >beer.
> >They will not allow it.  They will tell you to come  back  when 
> you are
> >sober.
> >Why should a
> >civil process be  any  different?  May we please have more details 
> on  this
> >particular  case?  I am at a complete loss.
> >
> >To me, it  seems that we are  seeing a person who is giving a  
> fraudulent>complaint, under the influence,  in order that he may 
> take  advantage of 
> >our
> >system
> >in an attempt to get a  free place to live for  three months.  
> Again, 
> >someone
> >please correct me  if I have jumped  to the wrong conclusion here. 
> Someone
> >please give us  Mr.  Gentry's address and/or phone number so that 
> we may
> >discuss
> >this  matter  with
> >him for ourselves.  I just don't understand and I  need to make  
> sense of
> >this.  Or, can we get Mr. Gentry to attend  a PAC2 meeting to  
> hear more
> >about his
> >case?  I really want to be  wrong about  this.
> >
> >I appreciate that we will have  folks in our  city who have fallen 
> on bad
> >times, but landlords have  got to be paid.   Our city needs rental 
> housing.>Every
> >city  does.  Renting homes is  a business.  People are in business 
> to  make 
> >a
> >return on their  investment dollars.  If people cannot  profit 
> from renting
> >homes
> >to our  citizens, then investors take their  money out of rentals 
> and put 
> >that
> >money
> >somewhere else.  Our  supply will subsequently fall.  When  supply 
> falls 
> >and
> >demand  stays about the same, prices go up.  And what  will happen 
> to  the
> >dormant rental stock?  It will become the boarded up  homes  that 
> we see
> >hundreds of
> >as we drive the disadvantaged neighborhoods  of  our city.
> >
> >If a landlord provides  a  sub-standard unit, the tenant should 
> not rent 
> >the
> >unit in the  first  place.  Vacancy is high in Durham.  Consumers 
> have much
> >more
> >power  than we think.
> >
> >If something breaks within a rental  unit, the  tenant should 
> report this 
> >to
> >the landlord.  If the  landlord does not  fix the problem, the 
> tenant 
> >should
> >feel empowered  to report the deficiency  to NIS.  If the landlord 
> attempts 
> >  a
> >retaliatory eviction for a  legitimate complaint, I want to hear  
> about 
> >that.
> >  I
> >want to hear about  it right here on the PAC2 list  serve.  I want 
> to then 
> >see
> >that  landlord
> >prosecuted to the  full extent of the law.  I want my  community 
> to let  
> >bad
> >landlords and bad property managers know that we will  NOT  tolerate
> >retaliatory
> >evictions in Durham.  I also want my  community  to help protect 
> the rights 
> >of
> >good landlords and property  managers.  By  rewarding the good 
> one, we may 
> >get
> >the bad ones to  change their business  practices.
> >
> >I also want deadbeat  tenants to know  that we will NOT tolerate 
> our 
> >investors
> >being taken  advantage of.   Tenants have got to pay the rent.  
> Tenants  
> >have
> >got to help keep our  housing stock in decent shape.  Our  
> neighbors who 
> >are
> >tenants need to  report little problems, like a  leaking drain 
> trap, as 
> >soon
> >as
> >they notice it  rather than months  later after it has already 
> done 
> >thousands
> >of
> >dollars  in
> >damage by  leaking all over flooring and sheet rock.  This happens 
> all  to
> >often in Durham and our neighbors who rent end up paying for it in 
>  the 
> >long
> >run.
> >
> >Ken  Gasch
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
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> >
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> 
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