Post by admin on Oct 9, 2006 17:15:10 GMT -5
I sent the following letter to the APP in the high hopes of stirring a few things up.
In Lakewood, there is a residence that houses a very large number of tenants. These tenants did not pay their gas bill. They decided to use a dish washer hose to hook their stove up to a propane tank. They were caught by township inspectors. Problem solved. Right? Guess again, within a couple of weeks these tenants were caught again. Reports are that the odor of gas was very strong. The next door neighbor was informed that the house could have blown at any time.
In Freehold, A residence was found out to be an illegal restaurant and boarding house, with people sleeping everywhere, including the basement. Complete with tables, condiments, cases of beer and soda for sale, and enough food to feed an army. The things lacking were health inspections, liquor licenses, proper zoning, public safety, and regard for the area neighbors. There is a suspicion of more of these operations.
These type of stories are becoming more common place. They are the result of a lucrative real estate market. Land lords are buying up properties and allowing overcrowding and anything else, so long as they get their big rent checks every month. In some areas, legal residents are concerned about blockbusting. In all of these areas, quality of life for the lawful residents has declined. From what I understand, there are many "upstanding" citizens who own these properties. Lawyers, doctors, police, code enforcement officials, members of religious communities and so on.
I am fortunate enough to live in Freehold Borough. Our town government is aggressively pursuing ways to combat this deviant behavior. Besides the current code enforcement, we are all awaiting the recommendations of a committee that was put together to address this important quality of life issue. I wish I could say my friends in Lakewood are as fortunate, but they are not.
I am writing the APP about this for two reasons. The first is that there is a very important story here. I have seen very little coverage in your paper about this topic of slum lords. I know that your reporters are very good at investigating many different issues. This would be a very big story if you were to take the time.
My second reason is to warn other residents, in other towns. These problems are slowly, but surely, finding their way into many other communities. Residents should familiarize themselves with local ordinances and contact their town code officer if they suspect problems. Residents should also petition their leaders to make sure that the town ordinances are up to date and able to combat these problems.
In Lakewood, there is a residence that houses a very large number of tenants. These tenants did not pay their gas bill. They decided to use a dish washer hose to hook their stove up to a propane tank. They were caught by township inspectors. Problem solved. Right? Guess again, within a couple of weeks these tenants were caught again. Reports are that the odor of gas was very strong. The next door neighbor was informed that the house could have blown at any time.
In Freehold, A residence was found out to be an illegal restaurant and boarding house, with people sleeping everywhere, including the basement. Complete with tables, condiments, cases of beer and soda for sale, and enough food to feed an army. The things lacking were health inspections, liquor licenses, proper zoning, public safety, and regard for the area neighbors. There is a suspicion of more of these operations.
These type of stories are becoming more common place. They are the result of a lucrative real estate market. Land lords are buying up properties and allowing overcrowding and anything else, so long as they get their big rent checks every month. In some areas, legal residents are concerned about blockbusting. In all of these areas, quality of life for the lawful residents has declined. From what I understand, there are many "upstanding" citizens who own these properties. Lawyers, doctors, police, code enforcement officials, members of religious communities and so on.
I am fortunate enough to live in Freehold Borough. Our town government is aggressively pursuing ways to combat this deviant behavior. Besides the current code enforcement, we are all awaiting the recommendations of a committee that was put together to address this important quality of life issue. I wish I could say my friends in Lakewood are as fortunate, but they are not.
I am writing the APP about this for two reasons. The first is that there is a very important story here. I have seen very little coverage in your paper about this topic of slum lords. I know that your reporters are very good at investigating many different issues. This would be a very big story if you were to take the time.
My second reason is to warn other residents, in other towns. These problems are slowly, but surely, finding their way into many other communities. Residents should familiarize themselves with local ordinances and contact their town code officer if they suspect problems. Residents should also petition their leaders to make sure that the town ordinances are up to date and able to combat these problems.
