[Durham INC] Tom Bonfield~ [pac2] Property Managers - how tofind out about them?

Thu Sep 17 11:29:27 EDT 2009

PAC 2 & INC:

Let's work together for safer homes and neighborhoods.  You are invited to
help the Campaign for Decent Housing finalize and work on our proposals
(including a rental registry) at a meeting with the City on Saturday,
October 17.  Please RSVP by October 12 for our lunch and tour of affordable
and renovated homes.

Lorisa

========

2010 Campaign for Decent Housing Goals (proposed):

1.      Rental properties with local contact person responsible for
maintenance registered with City.

2.      Lead-safe repairs & no paint chips in yards required in City Housing
& County Health Codes.

3.      Section 8 vouchers assist lower income residents to buy homes &
prevent displacement.

4.      Vacant homes stabilized for safety while under Code enforcement.

5.      Penny for Housing-City dedicates at least $1 million for affordable,
healthy homes, including:

  $500,000 for affordable housing for homeless & other very low-income
residents.

  $500,000 to help homeowners with energy efficient & lead-safe repairs (&
bank loans).

------

10th Annual Campaign for Decent Housing Lunch & Tour.  

RSVP by October 12 to: Lorisa Seibel, 683-1185x25, Lorisa at dahc.org.

Saturday, October 17, 12:30-4:00pm

City Neighborhood Improvement Services

Golden Belt, Building 2, 3rd floor

807 E. Main St. 27701 (enter from Morning Glory Ave.)

12:30-1:00 - Lunch & 10th Anniversary Recognitions

1:15-2:45 - Bus Tour of Homes & Neighborhoods  

3:00-4:00 - Set Priorities for 2010

------

Highlights of the Lunch & Tour:

Renovations in NECD by homeowners, neighbors, Preservation Durham, and City
Neighborhood Improvement Services; 

Energy-efficient, green, lead-safe, and accessible homes in NECD & SWCD by
Habitat, Land Trust, Self-Help, Builders of Hope, New Beginnings, New
Horizons youth, and Clean Energy Durham, with support from City Community
Development. 

Southside Community Center & home renovations by the neighborhood &
Self-Help.  Proposed City redevelopment of Southside & Rolling Hills.

"A Penny for Housing" homes for homeless by Housing for New Hope & CASA.

===========

Lorisa Seibel

Community Organizer

Durham Affordable Housing Coalition  

400 W. Main St. Suite 408, Durham, NC 27701

SouthBank Building, 4th floor

(919) 683-1185 ext. 25

(fax) 688-0082

Lorisa at dahc.org

www.dahc.org

  _____  

From: M. W. Shiflett - Hotmail [mailto:mwshiflett at hotmail.com] 
Sent: Wednesday, September 16, 2009 11:42 AM
To: Darius.M.Little at alumni.unc.edu; Matthew Dudek
Cc: Lorisa Seibel; TheOcean1 at aol.com; inc-list at durhaminc.org;
pac2 at yahoogroups.com; Tom.Bonfield at durhamnc.gov
Subject: Re: [Durham INC] Tom Bonfield~ [pac2] Property Managers - how
tofind out about them?

All,

For me,  I believe that the Campaign for Decent Housing would be the logical
'lead' organization to orchestrate this.

While I am a big fan of both INC and the PAC's,  it makes more sense to me
to use Lorisa Seibel and the Campaign as the champion agency that already
has a deeper knowledge, historical background and institutional memory
regarding landlord responsibility.   

Besides having an in-depth understanding of tenant duties and leasing
agreements between a landlord and a renter,  the CDH also understands the
affect that contract has on those parties AND the impact it has on
surrounding neighbors and the city at large when things don't go as smoothly
as everyone expects.

It'd make perfect sense to have the Campaign to coordinate the coalition
(including INC, the PAC's, Durham CAN, Realtors, etc) rather than have each
one trying to replicate a new wheel.

Mike Shiflett

----- Original Message ----- 

From: Matthew Dudek <mailto:matt.dudek at gmail.com>  

To: Darius.M.Little at alumni.unc.edu 

Cc: Tom.Bonfield at durhamnc.gov ; pac2 at yahoogroups.com ;
inc-list at durhaminc.org ; TheOcean1 at aol.com 

Sent: Wednesday, September 16, 2009 11:04 AM

Subject: Re: [Durham INC] Tom Bonfield~ [pac2] Property Managers - how
tofind out about them?

I  know we've talked about wanting this in the Cleveland-Holloway
neighborhood before. I also know this was a recommendation that came out of
some neighborhood planning exercises in North East Central Durham.  

I'd love to see INC and the PACs champion this issue and make it a campaign
issue. Let's finally get this on the agenda and make this happen.
Transparency and accountability are never bad things. 

Matt Dudek

502 Mallard Ave.

919 381 7577

On Sep 16, 2009, at 9:48 AM, Darius.M.Little at alumni.unc.edu wrote:

FYI: not a candidate plug here, but wanted to add for you that this idea is
great and in some areas has successfully been implemented.  I know over near
Southpoint Mall, in my neck of the woods, we've had situations where we
wanted to talk to property owners about various issues with tenants (after
not 'getting through' to the lessee directly - and wanting to avoid
confrontation, but ended-up in the PO-Box-Galaxy-of-Neverfind).  In our
area, it is now understood that all property management companies report to
the Homeowner's Association of that subdivision, which properties they own
in that neighborhood. 

I'd be happy to assist Mr. Bonfield, or anyone, in executing this endeavor,
as I've been through it before.

- Darius

"And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall
receive." [Matt 21:22]

-----Original Message-----
From: TheOcean1 at aol.com
To: Tom.Bonfield at durhamnc.gov; pac2 at yahoogroups.com
Cc: inc-list at durhaminc.org
Sent: Tue, Sep 15, 2009 6:55 pm
Subject: [Durham INC] Tom Bonfield~ [pac2] Property Managers - how to find
out about them?

Hold on, 3 years is a long time in Durham. Maybe our new city manager likes
the idea, perhaps Pensacola even had a similar program. Or maybe he won't
like the idea, but let's give him a chance to tell us.

Mr. Bonfield,

What are your thoughts regarding property managers simply registering with
the city a list of the properties they manage?

As pointed out below, community activists have been interested in this for
years, because of an occasional need to contact the responsible party. But I
would think city staff has a much more regular need for the same
information, surprised the request hasn't been coming from them, instead of
the community.

Bill Anderson

PAC2

In a message dated 9/15/2009 1:26:56 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time,
kjj1 at duke.edu writes:

Elizabeth--
Good luck pushing this issue. It is nearly impossible to find out who
manages properties. It strikes me as odd in this age of databases & ease of
making information widely available, that something as simple as requiring
property managers to submit an excel spreadsheet listing all the properties
they manage to a central clearinghouse where it could be made available to
the public is a big deal. But it seems to be. Property managers resist it
and the city seems to go along with them.

It was last pushed hard 3-4 years ago. There is always a great deal of
interest from neighborhood associations and citizens and a fair amount of
resistance from property managers and city officials.

Kelly Jarrett

Steve Graff wrote: 

Hi Elizabeth,

This is one of the biggest struggles, finding out who to contact about
problems with a property in the neighborhood. As you have discovered, the
Durham GIS system only lists the name and address for the property owner (no
phone number), but no information for the property management company. Often
times, the owner is in another state entirely, and the address listed is a
P.O. box. 

Sometimes with the name and address you can use a search engine such as
Google to try to find additional information for the owners. Other times,
this information is not available.

As an example, there is a four-plex apartment building just down the street
from us. About a year ago it was purchased and renovated by the new owners,
including replacing all of the windows. I was glad to see this happen as
this apartment building was the scene of a shooting a few years ago.

Everythi ng seemed to be going well up until recently. Then tenants started
to play loud music at all time of day and night. Then they started throwing
their trash into the ravine next to the building. Then we started to hear
loud arguments. Then we started to hear glass bottles being broken on the
ground. Then I started to see drug deals occurring there. Then one of the
residents started speeding up and and down the street at 60+ mph endangering
the residents who walk up and down this street (where there are no
sidewalks).

There was a big thread on various PAC mailing lists about the need for a
property registry sometime earlier this year. The need is clear. There needs
to be some way to contact property managers to notify them to concerns about
their property, so that they can take appropriate action before bad renters
trash their property and continue to continue to trash the neighborhood.

Steve Graff

President

Old North Durham Neighborhood Association

http://www.oldnorthdurham.com/

slgraff at gmail.com

On Sep 15, 2009, at 10:37 AM, elizabeth_gill99 wrote:

Dear All,

Walltown is reactivating Neighborhood Watch, we are starting with a few
blocks with the hope of growing. Question: we know how to find out who owns
properties on the City web site, but is there a easy way to find out who
manages them? I don't mind contacting delinquent owners but would love to
contact the property managers too.

Thanks!

Elizabeth K. Gill

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