In order to participate in the GunBroker Member forums, you must be logged in with your GunBroker.com account. Click the sign-in button at the top right of the forums page to get connected.
Options
This SUCKS!!
Ricci Wright
Member Posts: 8,260 ✭✭
Comments
He's a vet. It's awful that he's living like this but usually the people are mentally ill and are sometimes violent. The owner of the last property Little Rock demolished physically attacked the city employee supervising the demolition.
The man made many court appearances and each time the judge ruled that the house was unsafe, could not be repaired, and needed to come down. He "had his day in court" and nothing was done without his knowledge. I'm sure that was the situation in this case. Again, the city would not capriciously tear down a man's house. There was a good reason.
As for doing it while he was away, I am certain he received notices of the demolition date. I doubt he can claim it came as a surprise to him. Recall that mental illness is often a factor in these cases and that's why they live in squalor and in homes that are falling down from neglect.
The headline makes the homeowner look like the victim, but in reality the city is not to blame for doing what needed doing.
Too old to live...too young to die...
demolish my house, and that would be tame
take everything away from a person, and they have nothing to live for, there may be no city council, no city workers left ether
I have seen many condemned houses rehabbed , I rented one for storage once in 1997, then it got condemned, I was told rehab was not an option, now it still stands as an office building
And you would be arrested for assault and go to jail. Did you read any of my post? This was not a decent home being defended. It was unhealthy and unsafe and he'd been in court repeatedly. He was not screwed over by the government. Everybody bent over backwards to help him. He was uncooperative and belligerent.
Too old to live...too young to die...
1: The guy couldn't have received the city's letters because they were posted on the building in NY when he was in FL in the hospital.
2: The city is sandbagging his lawyers requests for information, will not release the name of the demolition company who either stole or destroyed his personal property.
3: The neighbors(?) sound like they were happy to see this happen. (my bet is a relation on the council)
4: A man who needs a knee replaced would not have been able to keep his grass trimmed, or upkeep on his home.
5: From what information the story gives it sounds like the city did not follow the proper channels in condemning this home. (we will have to wait and see how the lawsuit comes out)
Notices are delivered by sheriff's deputies to property owners and not just tacked on the wall. If the man was actually out of state for the entire time period this was happening then that's unfortunate but not the city's fault. If the man wasn't home to sign for the letter, they may have proceeded after a judge ruled the house abandoned. Nothing happens without a court order and none of this happens overnight. I think it's possible the man knew the demolition was coming and he left town hoping to stall it. Remember, most of these people are crazy and do weird things.
I don't know anything about sandbagging lawyers. A city government has to be upfront on info and there's no reason to hide what they were doing. Again, who are you believing here, the lawyers (really?) or the media? I don't trust either.
As for the neighbors, I have no doubt they complained and started the process that led to the demolition. Would YOU want to live next door to a house buried in filth, overrun with vermin, smelling to high heaven? I suspect you would not. But even all that is not enough for a court to order demolition. The house had to be physically unsafe for occupation. This goes way, way beyond an unmowed lawn. You have no idea what these houses look like. They are falling down, missing roofs, it's unbelievable that anyone would want to be inside one and only a crazy person would.
I see no reason to think the city didn't follow proper procedures. The city has no reason not to do so. I feel badly for the vet, he's in a bad situation, but the city isn't the bad guy. Based on my past experience (which is limited) I assume the house needed to come down and the owner was not being sane and reasonable in dealing with city officials. That's the usual pattern. You refuse to accept that, go ahead.
Too old to live...too young to die...
I'll bet he is privately celebrating. There is every chance this will turn into a windfall for him which turns a toy train and some memorabilia into a habitable dwelling he would have never been able to afford otherwise.
Something like two or three years ago we had one hell of an increased appraisal by the County in property values. I appealed, it went nowhere. I know from prior experience the nest of Progressives in power on County level needed funds for their customary over spending. There are avenues for additional appeal, why do it by the time you pay for attorney fees and other expenses, you scrap any additional appeals and go with the flow it is less expensive in the long run. This past summer they again had another mid (half way point) appraisal, need more money. Attempted to increase my value another nineteen thousand, I did appeal and it was reduced to an increase of two thousand. I have never, since I moved to this county in 1957, seen a mid reappraisal nor have any old timers I know seen it previously like this year
Obviously I don't know all the particulars related to the demolition of the man's residence, a news article can be very one sided or designed to influence ones thoughts to the writers side. But my instincts tell me there is much more to it and more than likely it is on the Government side. Government has unlimited resources to defend itself, they are fully aware that Joe six pack is limited in resources therefore being a legal parasite the City/County/State or Federal do whatever motivates a person in power or one of the many departments flexing their muscle on an individual with the restriction of avoiding anyone with strong political connections
My point being you may very well have the most honest and open administration within the State, most are all one side--Government. And commend you for defending your local Government, if it is that honest it should be defended. Thatcher said Socialism is wonderful until you run out of everyone's money. (Not sure the wording is correct, but it is to the point)
"demolish my house, and that would be tame"
And you would be arrested for assault and go to jail. Did you read any of my post? This was not a decent home being defended. It was unhealthy and unsafe and he'd been in court repeatedly. He was not screwed over by the government. Everybody bent over backwards to help him. He was uncooperative and belligerent.
Problem is Doc, you can no longer trust the media anymore to give us all the facts. We get THEIR bias opinion fed to us.
Watching MSM while at the GYM today, I heard the Planned Parenthood shooter described as "full of hate" because he did not like PP and the sale of baby parts.
Conversely Planned Parenthood in itself is made out to be beyond reproach as it "Serves" communities and helps people despite the fact they sell baby parts.