- "Why do we want to make it easier for people who are moving out.....?"
It is disturbing that Georgine Welo finds it appropriate to attempt to obstruct or hinder the free will of someone wanting to sell their home and move to another location. Subjecting people to complications and deterrents is an ineffective scheme to coerce someone to remain in South Euclid. This tactic is not unlike physically erecting roadblocks and barricades at the city borders to prevent departure. This attitude does not portray the City government as resident friendly, and certainly will not assist the effort to attract prospective newcomers. Welo offers her justification for South Euclid to jump on the bandwagon, "Most cities have point-of-sale inspections." Perhaps this is just another veiled excuse to collect more money from the hardworking taxpayers of the city.
- SOUTH EUCLID ALREADY HAS A PROGRAM FOR EXTERIOR HOME INSPECTIONS.
In the words of Councilwoman Jane Goodman from her blog dated February 15, 2007, regarding "Point-of-Sale" inspections: "These inspections would be the same type of exterior inspections we already require, no more and no less."..."We will continue to do regular door-to-door inspections, starting the cycle again in 2008 and continuing whether point-of-sale is in place or not, and our inspectors will continue to respond to neighbors' complaints and cite high grass and weeds."
- Below is a an explanation from the City website regarding their current program for exterior home inspection. Why isn't the current program sufficient and/or enforced? Why charge the homeowner even more money than they are already paying in excruciatingly high taxes to get the same job done? Why burden the homeowner with the preposterous escrow scheme?
"PROPERTY MAINTENANCE PROGRAMS An exterior housing inspection of all property on selected streets will be made this spring. The inspection of sidewalks and aprons will be conducted independently of the housing inspection program. This systematic inspection program is an important means in achieving the goals of the City Strategic Plan as it relates to maintaining and enhancing the quality of life, safety and the property values of our neighborhoods. The Sidewalk Inspection Program provides options and flexibility to property owners for facilitating the necessary sidewalk repairs in a timely manner, thus assuring a safe sidewalk for pedestrian use. The exterior of approximately 1/5 of the City's homes are visually inspected each year to assure upkeep of housing stock. Residents are notified of any problems which need to be corrected and given adequate time to correct any deficiencies. Items checked are gutters, downspouts, masonry, sidewalks, driveways, aprons, siding, paint, windows and general cleanliness. Residents of streets scheduled for inspection this spring will be mailed detailed information regarding the inspection programs. If you have any questions regarding either the Sidewalk Inspection Program or the Exterior Inspection Program, please do not hesitate to contact the Building Department at (216) 381-0400 between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. We will be glad to assist you."
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3 comments:
Well put. The Mayor's comments were ill conceived. Her other comment about citizens asking why homes in Cleveland Heights and Shaker sell, but not ours (she attributes this to POS inspections) is a fallacy as well: the housing stock in those communities is significantly different and the neighborhoods planned so differently that they cannot be compared to South Euclid, which has some of the worst zoning and development planning in Northeast Ohio.
Further, City Hall and Council have not provided evidence that they have studied the effects of POS. They answer "Heights does it, so should we" to the question of what was examined prior to the decision.
I don't see what Welo has delivered to this city for the tax increases we voted in.
'Welo said the city's housing stock has been "moving very well" since Sally Martin was hired as the city's housing manager, a newly created position, in March.
"We're outshining our neighbors in that area," Welo said Monday. "In many communities that have point-of-sale (inspection), houses are not being bought."
On Tuesday, Welo said, "Too bad we don't have any hard-core figures on how our new housing program is doing, how it's affecting our housing stock."
"We're not able to measure it yet because it hasn't been in effect long enough," she said. "You need a year." '
- Sun Messenger 7/17/08
These are the words of a politician. Houses are "moving very well" (but there are no figures to prove it because "We're not able to measure it yet because it hasn't been in effect long enough"). "Many communities that have point-of-sale, houses are not being bought" (again, no evidence, and what about communities that don't have point of sale are they selling their homes faster or slower than SE?). Even though "We are not able to measure it . . ." I have concluded that SE is "outshining its neighbors".
Until someone cites some real facts that point of sale inspections actually improve the general market for homes in SE and do not actually hurt the homeowner's ability to sell a home, I have to conclude that Point of Sale Inspections = An Exit Tax payable by the exitor.
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