All Forum Posts by: John Clark

"When I did my research and found his name, he had already placed my property address as his on the RSO registry summer of last year."

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Double check the law. Does your apartment qualify as a residence for registered sex offenders? Some states require that the offender not live within X number of feet of a school or park, for instance, and if you can show that the residence can qualify, the police can force him to move ASAP.

If you have to think about it, then the answer has to be "Don't."

If the guy is a registered sex offender, go to the police ASAP and ask if he's registered for your address. If he isn't, you might be able to have him busted right quick. Certainly give your no trespass notice as well, but check if the police can't violate (arrest for parole/probation infraction) him immediately. Your tape will come in handy if he denies living there.

If he IS arrested, attend the court hearings and ask the prosecutor if the court will enter a no trespass order on the guy as well, especially during the pendency of the proceedings. The worst that can happen is that the judge won't do it.

Giving the property away will NOT necessarily eliminate liability for unpaid water bills, taxes, and any fines for code violations. ANY transfer should explicitly state that the buyer/donee will pay all prior AND current fees, liens, and taxes and whatnot

"Like this guy he came to fix a leak and saw other pipe adjacent to it ... and he evaluated that to be out of code without my asking ....."

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In and of itself, that is not bad. A good tradesman, like a good professional in anything else, SHOULD be on the look out for other problems and bring them to your attention. So your "without my asking" is not a reasonable stance to take on your part.

The fact that you have NOT been told precisely what the violation is, however, and have not been given an extimate range (you said the lady was vague), AND the fact that grandfathered situations are legal, however, tell me that this plumber is trying to generate work. Tell him you want detailed facts about the code violations and his estimate range (cut some slack on this -- there could be stuff in the wall that will cost more and he won't know about it until he opens it up). Then get some other evaluations and estimates.

If the conditions merit remediation, use a plumber you trust to make the repairs. If it's a grandfathered condition, consider letting it go UNLESS (and this is my opinion) it is lead pipe. Lead pipe you should replace, regardless of legality. Do you really want to risk poisoning kids in order to save a few bucks?

Tomacor. More expensive than most, but very, very, good.

Community Initiatives, Inc. or NHS Redevelopment

"Have you looked into Airbnb or VRBO. Generally you can get a good price if you just rent out each individual room or you can rent out the entire house."

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Can't AirBnB the basement as a bedroom if the basement doesn't meet code for bedrooms. If regulations permit, you could AirBnB the whole house and who they stuff down there is their business, so long as you portray the house as only having the code compliant bedrooms

"I’ve estimated renting it without the basement would only bring $1500 each month whereas with the basement $1700 each month if I rent to a family."

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Families can stuff children and family members into areas that strangers cannot be put into. Renting a specific basement to a stranger is a commercial activity. Renting an entire house to a stranger family, with no limit on that family putting a family member down there, is not the same, and in most places would be permissible.

@Cody L  "But if I pay $100k cash for a home, and then go to a bank to give me $80k after (with the property to secure their loan), where by the bank has $80k of debt secured by the property, and I have $20k of equity -- somehow this is different?"

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Yes it is. Look up the difference between purchase money mortgage priority in settling debts and regular debt, even secured debt. Purchase money mortgages can avoid arguments by other secured lenders and blanket lien holders that they come first.