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Post by Marc LeVine on Jul 17, 2006 8:34:01 GMT -5
I encourage everyone to attend tonight's workshop meeting and bring friends! Also, be prepared to stand up and make a statement about bad absentee landlords.
We are planning some fireworks for a few of the peole making our lives miserable and your voice is needed. We expect to have the Press there. If big numbers show up and you are "loud," we can really make these folks feel uncomfortable and set the newspapers on a footing to go after the bad guys! Perhaps, adding their names and violations to a weekly column similar to Police Blotter.
Here is your chance! Please help try to fill the room.
Marc
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Post by admin on Jul 18, 2006 8:13:35 GMT -5
Well, the workshop was an interesting one. The issue of slum lords did come up, including all of those annoying mailings that our residents receive in the mail.
By coincidence, a man whose name eludes me, addressed the council about problems on his street. I believe he said he was from Henry street. This man's concerns revolved around several area homes that are being used to house undocumented workers. This speaker was good, bringing up concerns related to Megan's law, RICO act, and a host of ordinance related topics which need to be addressed. This man correctly used the term "blockbusting" to describe what is happening. With out spoken people like this speaker, it will assist our town in pursuing those who are degrading neighborhoods and exploiting the poor.
On the issue of these landlords, our town leaders all came out strong against what is going on. Councilman Levine and Councilwoman Shutzer both have been vocal and aggressive in getting the message out that slum lords are not welcome. This is an important point because some towns do not have elected officials who will take the right path and protect their citizens.
One specific landlord is being denied a license to solicit. Apparently this person is going door to door trying to get residents to sell their homes. This person has been cited ten times for a number of rental violations, including not getting the proper certificate of occupancy, not making repairs, and not maintaining safety measures on rentals he already manages in Freehold Borough.
As this all goes on, we can look forward to the anticipated measures that the rental advisory board will recommend in the near future. I know that we have an intelligent and good group of people looking to enact measures that will only do good for this town.
On a lighter note. After the meeting I remained outside of Boro hall, shooting the breeze with some fine people. We were talking about the letters we all get in the mail. I mentioned that there is a service, for a fee, will send a brick with a message to any person the "donor" wishes. Many politicians have received these bricks. My idea was to get an organized effort in town where we all send a brick for every letter we receive to the slum lords. Marc Levine rightly pointed out that the slum lords would use the bricks to build rental units. Oh well, another idea bites the dust.
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Post by admin on Jul 25, 2006 13:47:07 GMT -5
Front Page!
The News Transcript ran a front page article about the denial to Michael Lefkovits to solicit door to door, trying to get people to sell their homes.
We should all write the Transcript and thank them for putting this on the front page, with the name of the person who does not have an interest in bettering this town.
We all need to recognize and thank our elected town officials for being very vocal and sending the right message.
One thing that was clear from the article is that Michael Lefkovits did not like having his name in the paper, or brought into the public forum. I am reminded of statements by Marc Levine, where he mentioned that the slum lords do not like publicity. This view appears to be on the mark. ( No pun intended )
Freehold is OUR town and we will not allow opportunistic people to degrade our quality of life!
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Post by Marc LeVine on Jul 26, 2006 8:57:03 GMT -5
The battle is just beginning, in earnest. Fortunately, the News Transcript is on board with this issue and realizes that it can be a very powerful tool in helping create the code compliance atmosphere, we need. We desparately need the Asbury Park Press to follow suit in their reporting. Swamping them with your letters, may inspire them to join the effort. They will find that their readers will be very interested in the stories of Draconian landlords taking it on the chin.
I understand that the Transcript intends to continue reporting on the topic du jour and releasing the names of other bad landlords and their respective lists of violations. We really need them (the papers) to set up a weekly "Police Beat" type of column that will list our housing code violators. You can help by voicing your support for this idea in your letters and emails, directed to local newspaper editors and reporters.
We found the achilles heal of slum landlords - it's bad press. Getting their names out in the newspapers was highly effective during my first term on Council, when the APP published the names of the "silent partners/owners" at our renegade apartment complexes -- and it still works. These people prefer to lurk in the shadows and protect their preceived community standing, but we can't allow them this.
We must continue to keep the heat on our bad landlords. Soon, I expect the council recommendations coming from our Rental Review Committee to grab headlines and further deter the people, who think Freehold is an easy town to conduct their shady business dealings in.
Once they hear they can be reported to IRS, Mortgage Companies and Banks for allowing slum conditions to exist, they will not be pleased. Community service and possible jail time for repeat offenders, will also send them a wake up call. Yes, we have many surprises for these people, in the coming months. But, the thing we need more than anything else is HEAVY PUBLICITY.
Word MUST get out that we won't stand for unacceptable behavior in Freehold Borough's housing sector. West Long Branch is winning its own war against the same kind of slum landlords in it's town. We can win ours. But, we need full community support and we need you all to help keep the media focused on paying the effort as much attention as possible.
Marc L.
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Post by admin on Jul 26, 2006 16:24:16 GMT -5
Marc, I am with you on getting the word out. Today I received a phone call from the Transcript to confirm a letter I sent yesterday. I assume it will be published.
[glow=red,2,300]Every reader should do the same. Send a strong message[/glow]!
Just in case it does not get printed, here it is:
The transcript did the citizens of Freehold Borough a great service by putting us on the front page of the July 26 edition. The article was in reference to Michael Lefkovits and his attempt to gain a permit which would allow him to go door to door trying to get people to sell their homes.
Every reader needs to see that slum lords are not welcome in Freehold Borough. This is evident by not only the residents views, but also by the strong message our Mayor and council are getting out.
Freehold Borough is a great town to live in. There are many of us who are dedicated to seeing our town progress in a positive direction. Absentee landlords, who do not care who they rent to, or what happens on their property, do not fit in with the future of Freehold.
Our town has taken a couple of hits in recent years, but this is town is going in the right direction.
We all need to thank the Transcript for helping highlight this. We also need to thank Mayor Wilson and the Freehold Borough council for looking out for the best interests of our town. They have fought an uphill battle and are doing a fine job.
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