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Carey's rental problems with the city of Euclid, Ohio
Friends,
Please read this and send it on to all your contacts, post it on your blogs, help me get this out as it will benefit you also. I don't particularly care for how it is written as I had little time to edit and change the tone but it is still vitally important to get this out there. Let me explain what is going on.
I received a letter from the city of Euclid, Ohio concerning the two rentals I own. I was completely shocked when I read it. The letter was written on May second, received on May third and their terms were to be met by May sixteenth.
What Euclid wants is $200.00 each property for the initial registration and a renewal fee of $75.00 per year with required annual inspections. How many of you have $400.00 at your disposal to hand out to the city?
I am just infuriated with the city of Euclid at their audacity to make such demands with such a short notice. This is nothing more than them wanting more money to spend as they see fit. You can not justify this request. I pay property tax and income tax and now another fee? All cities, even the council man I met with agreed, have drive by inspections. If a property looks neglected from the outside the property owner can be cited and an inspection may be issued. Not only is annual inspections an invasion of my renters privacy but it gets worse. They also demand social security numbers of my tenants. Friends we need to start fighting back at this kind of bureaucracy. First its rental units then it will be home owners with a fee called a residency permit to be allowed to live in your house.
What is the penalty if I don't meet these demands? A fine of up to $1,000.00 and up to 6 months imprisonment. For what? Its my houses what crime have I committed?
Please read and pass on I am hoping this will get into the right hands and a large case will be brought against this city. And if you have caved in to similar demands shame on you!
Below is the letter I sent to the mayor of Euclid and please also open the enclosed document to read what they sent.
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Mayor Cervenik,
This letter is in conclusion to our conversation we had on Monday May 12Th at 4PM.
First I would like to thank you for your prompt call and also for taking the time to look at my properties. As for our conversation I was disappointed that I did not make the most of the opportunity I had. You had made your point and steam rolled right over my situation that still exists, lack of money. Your statements of "we could charge you $800.00" and "pay they don't play games" is not what I expected.
This position I find myself in is new to me. My credit rating is very high and I have always paid my bills on time. I don't believe its impossible to make an exception to help someone who has invested in the city. Someone is in a bind the city should do more than just threaten them with a huge fine and jail time. What is Euclid trying to accomplish if someone doesn't have the money? Force them to sell or go bankrupt? Its a real shame that someone who is self employed running a small business decides to invest in his future by buying houses and the city demands more money above property tax and income tax. As you said according to law you are in your right to do so, but does this still make it right?
This policy should be revisited. There is 10 empty houses on Priday Ave alone. The city of Euclid should be doing all they can to encourage investment. If I would of known of the added rental fee's I would not of purchased my houses here. There is plenty of others who feel the same way. I don't anticipate my situation staying the same. My plans for the future are to buy two more houses. Knowing what I now know unless Euclid changes its policy my next two houses won't be in Euclid.
Think of what I could do with that $400.00 the city is demanding. Make a few necessary improvements, even if its one window or pay for my house insurance just to name a few things. Instead the city takes it.
Your solution of raising the rent is not how I do business. By keeping the rent low I had secured a good tenant for over 9 years that gave me no problems. The government whether local, state or federal can't keep taxing and adding fees then tell the public raise your prices. This is driving down the value of the dollar even further. Is anyone ever ahead with this game?
As for the current situation things have changed. The tenant living in Priday will be leaving in July. He has given me his notice. So I will not register it as a rental. I have about 2 months to decide if I will keep it or sell it. I am pretty sure of one thing as of now it won't be a rental.
You weren't willing to try and help with rental fees but maybe Euclid could help pay my house insurance. I am enclosing it so you know I wasn't playing games. Again its a real shame living in America someone falls on hard times is barely making it and the city government can take it all away.
Carey K. Masci