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Landlord Association newsletter library |
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Landlord Association newsletter library |
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Volume 7 Number 7 March/April 2003 |
LIBRARY |
contents
From The
President
Words of Wisdom
Screening Services
School Board
Elections
Skip Tracing By
Tom Chou
Safty Begins With
You
How to Spot a Con Artist
The Poverty Sharks
Neighborhood Etiquette
Next Meeting,
Agenda and Lunch
contents From the President -Patty Hofer Dear Members & Friends; Hope you have been able to avoid emergency calls from residents during these winter storms. During our January meeting our Treasurer, Mary DeMierre reported a balance of $2,050.39. Dues ($20) is due now, so please send your check if you have not yet done so. The board has mailed an invitation to other property owners to become members. We got mailing labels from the city that were targeted for two and four family building owners, so we will not have to get addresses from the buildings themselves, which was the former plan. Many thanks to Thomas Chou, Don Schmidt, Jane Quartuccio, Ron DeMierre and Mary DeMierre who actually did the work while the president was off on another do-gooder project. Our fellow member and guest speaker was the Honorable Matthew P Villa, Alderman, 11th Ward. His first subject was the redevelopment of the former Good Samaritan Home (5200 S Broadway) property. The core 71/2 acres on the bluffs of the Mississippi River about four miles from downtown St Louis is for sale for $5.3 million. Additional continuous acreage may be available in the D zoned (residential, multifamily) area. Potential developers have the option of converting the current buildings to new use or demolishing the complex for high end residential use. This kind of river view property is not available anyway else in the city so the possibilities are very exciting. Matt would really like to get that much land back onto the tax rolls. The alderman went on to explain that some vacant lots are available in Carondelet [for families to build homes]. Developers want a minimum of four acres of clean, vacant land to make their work cost effective. The former Carondelet Coke & Coal property is forty acres which has piqued a lot of interest, unfortunately the ground has been contaminated by the previous users. Laclede Gas and S G Carbon have been determined to have been contributing contaminators and have agreed to be part of a voluntary clean up. Applications are being made for clean up funds. Matt expects the clean up in two years. Clark Properties and Clayco Construction have indicated interested in the decontaminated land, perhaps for a small industrial park. The Defense Mapping Agency compound will be turned over to the city eventual, when the military releases it. Redevelopment of that property will offer some opportunities down the road for jobs and housing. Another area ripe for redevelopment is the flood buyout area we accepted from the federal government near the Astaris plant. Matt is very enthusiastic, saying, "We'll see an impact. They are big opportunities." Alderman Villa went on to discuss new plans for Carondelet Park. He explained that a 1992 capital improvements .5 cent sales tax became a dedicated source of revenue for the park. Repairs and improvements have been done for the past decade but Alderman Villa and neighboring 13th Ward Alderman, Fred Wessels decided a park master plan was needed to determine how future revenue will be spent. Research was done on the history of the park and current quality of trees and other amenities. Four public meetings were held. The first priority from the public input was safety. A continuous walking and jogging path around the park was requested. The bear pits will be opened for picnics, an adventure area is planned, Horse Shoe Lake and nearby sink holes will be connected for water cascades, part of the original plan for the park. Grand Drive around Lyle House will get traffic improvement. The old stables, now a maintenance building may become a catering kitchen for events in the park. New landscape design will include savannah areas, tree canopies, new plants, etc, all factors in less maintenance and less expense, while affording a park with "lots of neat ideas" generated by the people who care very much about our desirous neighborhood attraction. As always more participation in the park is preferred. And lots of volunteers are needed to help implement the new plans. Discussion of a Community Recreation Center was Matt's next topic. U S Representative Dick Gephardt obtained some federal dollars for a center with modern amenities that draw people to the site and the area to buy houses. The center must be self-supporting so it will have to entice people who will pay to be members. A private entity, maybe the Y, will operate the facility. Such centers in the county municipalities are credited with raising housing values. No site for the center has been chosen. Public meetings will be held to consider; where it will be located, what it will look like, what attractions consumers want. An unused section of Carondelet Park is one proposed site. Should the park be chosen, we would not loose any green space or trees. The unused field house would go. Matt also talked about downtown development. The 28 wards are not getting as much money because dollars are being diverted to downtown projects, to spar more development, which should promote the whole metro area. Matt asked that we be patient, concentrate the dollars there now and appreciate all the opportunities we have in our part of the city. Matt opined that since 1990 some vacant lots and empty buildings have stayed that way because the owners wanted them empty. "We've got people to buy the buildings, but the owners are uncooperative", so even with all the upgrading of buildings, our numbers stay the same. The situation is also difficult for older home owners, because there is a two year back log on the home repair program. During an informative question and answer session the last query was whether Matt would be a candidate for U S Representative. Matt replied that being with his family was more important than running for another office. Thomas Chou presented a workshop on skip tracing. A summary is presented in a separate column. Our Legislative Analyst, Jim Magnus started his report with the federal government. He agreed with Alderman Villa that federal dollars are going into downtown development. Jim added that federal funding is going into the Shaw and McCree neighborhoods which attract refugees, who also bring money to St Louis. Section 8 vouchers can now be used to purchase homes. After twelve months the recipient/home owner is permanently out of Section 8. Neighborhood Housing Services does the home ownership education, but delinquency ratios are high. There are always different ways of looking at statistics and a certain amount of time is necessary to determine if this new program is worthwhile. Jim mentioned some lending agencies that are being tracked for predatory lending. One might consider checking newspaper articles about lending abuses before one borrows again. The St Louis Board of Aldermen still has Alderman Greg Carter's Board Bill 70 on the informal calendar. The bill proposes to eliminate the discretion of the housing conservation inspector to routinely grant extensions for repairs. Alderman Carter is targeting owners who do not maintain anything until they get cited. There are many scenarios for an owner to request an extension or two, but the worst case scenario is someone who gets dozens of extensions without the work ever being completed. Board Bill 178 sponsored by Alderman Carter and Alderman, Steve Gregalli specifies that landlords cannot put an evictee's belongings on city sidewalks. Several attorneys specializing in landlord/tenant law are trying to reconcile the issue with state law. Board Bill 123 sponsored by Alderman Ken Ortmann contemplated that buildings condemned for occupancy must be in substantial compliance and have a new occupancy inspection. At the state level Senator Maida Coleman's Senate Bill 92, which will regulate prevention and screening of lead poisoning is of paramount importance to owners of buildings built before 1978. It is 16 pages of intricate legislation, which I have not yet been able to digest. SB 104 would increase the Housing Trust fee. SB 179 concerns insurance. SB 44 proposes six weeks paid family leave. Jim closed his report by strongly advising us to read and understand these bills, contact our legislators with our comments and start building the costs into our rental amounts. Due to budget constraints the Neighborhood Stabilization Office will not be able to give us as many INFORENT packets as we have been getting. People are encouraged to download the information and forms from the web site. We are featuring another Tenants' Supplement in this issue of the newsletter. The 4 page section is designed for you to reproduce and give to residents. We hope to have a speaker who will discuss tenants' insurance at our next meeting on Monday, March 17, 2003, 7 p m at Southern Commercial Bank, 5515 S Broadway. We will also have assessments of the annual Landlords' Conference. Our next lunch at Feasting Fox will be Tuesday, April 15 at about 11:30 am. Hope to see you on both occasions. HERE'S WHAT YOU SHOULD NEVER LET TENANTS DO The following are some works of wisdom that can literally save you thousands of dollars. These tips come from landlords on MrLandlord,com who have learned these tips the hard way! *Never let residents do their own plumbing repairs. *No outside storage of any kind. *Never let them paint. I have had a house interior painted purple, a living room painted black, and some cretin painted my walnut kitchen cabinets a color that looked like regurgitated pea soup. *Never let them put up those stupid glow in the dark stars on the ceiling. Those with college rentals know what I'm talking about,when you take them off, half the ceiling comes with them. *Never let your tenants think they are now your friends. *Never let tenants use those blue dissolving tablets in the tank of the toilet. *Never let your residents get/keep a car that is not registered, even when they claim they are going to get it done. Six months later that same car will be sitting in your yard. XXXX SCREENING SERVICES Mr Landlord http://www.mrlandlord.com/onlinechecks.html Northland Services www.northcs.com/norser, email: norser@northcs.com, Tel 800.905.8774 Credit Verification Services - 314.772.4500 Apartment Tenant Screening of America - 636.946.9200 Welcome Home Credit Services - 314.344.2811 See Employment Screening in the Yellow Pages for others XXXX SCHOOL BOARD ELECTIONS Over the past thirty or forty years the majority of city public schools all over the country have plummeted in quality. The test scores are abysmal, drop-out rates are unconscionable. The powers that be are sincerely trying to improve schools here in St Louis. Some fine people are running for the open positions on the school board. God love ‘em for even considering such an arduous, overwhelming, thankless and unpaid position. Good schools raise property values, so it would behoove all property owners to contact the League of Women Voters Information Service 314.961.6869 or watch the newspaper for lists of candidates and their credentials. Then go out and VOTE or encourage your residents to vote. XXXX SKIP TRACING, "HOW DO I FIND THE DEBTOR?" presented by Thomas Chou Skip tracing is a term used for locating a debtor that has skipped out and is avoiding his creditors. To trace the debtor and collect one's money, the creditor must; find the debtor, file the case with the appropriate court, have the debtor served to appear in court, prove the debt is owed to get the court to grant the creditor a money judgement, obtain an execution [of the court order, NOT the execution of the debtor] and finally one must have the sheriff execute the judgement, to do all that the creditor must know where the creditor lives. How to Find the Debtor. Review the rental application for the debtor's social security number and driver's license number, employer, vehicles, bank information and personal references. [Report the judgement to original screening service]. Run another credit report which may show a new address or new job. File Missouri Department of Revenue, Division of Motor Vehicle and Drivers Licensing form 4678 (rev 7-02), Request for MV/DL Records/Security Access Code (www.dor.state.mo.us/mvdi) Check Box 5 in section C. Search for the debtor in the telephone directory. Complete a U S Post Office Request for Change of Address Information (PS Form 1478, May 1974). Note: If you want to know if the target is still the address you had for the court case you may add a box and the notation "Addressee has not moved" for the clerk or carrier to check if the debtor is still at that address. One must file the law suit with the appropriate court in your area. Insure that all information is correct, names are spelled accurately, address is exact, no typos and the reason for the suit is explained clearly and concisely. Have the debtor served by filing the appropriate forms, pay the sheriff's office to serve and post or pay a special process server. Verify that the address where the debtor is to be served exactly matches that on the suit filed. Get the court to grant you a money judgement. Try to persuade the debtor to pay you in full. Time is of the essence. Something is better than nothing. Decide when to move on. What happens if the debtor won't pay? Obtain an execution [judicial writ by which an officer is em-powered to carry a judgement in effect].Complete garnishment form. One may garnish 1) wages (25% of check per pay period) Serve debtor at work. 2)checking or savings accounts, 3)personal assets, e g stocks, bonds, investments, insurance policies 4)personal property, vehicles, motorcycles, boats. Check tax rolls to determine if one can attach a lien on real property. Have the sheriff execute the judgement. Again make sure the address being served is correct. Garnishment of wages will occur within 30-90 days. Re-file garnishments forms periodically. This is only a summary. Please telephone 314.352.9140 or email ahofer6024@msn.com to get a copy of the presentation and sample forms. XXXX SAFETY BEGINS WITH YOU How Apartment Residents Can Guard Against Crime You can never be too careful, particularly when it comes to protecting personal safety and deterring crime, Even though the police are very effective in responding to illegal activities, oftentimes harm may already be done by the time the police learn about an incident. To avoid dangerous situations and safeguard personal security, everyone throughout the entire community shares responsibility for reducing the risk of crime. Please take a moment to review these crime prevention tips and suggestions. By working together, you and your neighbors can protect the safety and security or your homes. Inside Your Apartment * Deploy All Safety Devices: Lock your doors and windows whenever possible when occupying your apartment and be sure to lock all doors and windows before leaving. Utilize any additional provided security devices. Notify the manager promptly of and malfunctions *Answering the Door: Before opening your door, always identify who is on the other side. Ask service personnel to present identification. * Keep window Treatments Closed: To prevent intruders from viewing your apartment's contents, close curtains, blinds and window shades at night and when you leave. * Lost Keys: If you lose your apartment key, immediately contact the manager. Locks should be re-keyed immediately. * Smoke Detectors: Check monthly for dead batteries and malfunctions. * Report Suspicious Activities: Immediately notify the proper law enforcement authorities regarding criminal or suspicious activity, and then notify the manager. * Emergency Procedures: Make sure children know how to dial "911" or the operator for help, Practice the fire escape techniques and other emergency procedures. When Leaving your Apartment * Turn On Radio and Lamps: Before leaving, turn a radio on at moderate volume to give the impression someone is home. Install lamp timers to turn on lights during evenings when your apartment is unoccupied. * Do Not Hide Keys Outside: Intruders may observe apartment residents hiding entry keys, or they may discover where keys are hidden. * Ask Someone to Watch Your Home; Tell the manager, a trusted neighbor and friends if you will be gone for and extended period so they can keep an eye on your apartment. * Halt Deliveries When Traveling: Have newspaper and mail delivery temporarily halted, or ask a friend to pick up newspaper and mail when you are away for an extended period. CURFEW All Boys and Girls UNDER 17 Years of Age Must Be Off The Streets And Away From Public Places By 11 P.M. Sunday Though Thursday Or MIDNIGHT Friday & Saturday, PARENTS OR JUVENILES IN VIOLATION OF CURFEW ORDINANCES ARE LIABLE FOR FINES. Courtesy of Carondelet/Holly Hills Landlords Association MOVING CHECKLIST Select your moving day. Ask your Property Manager about any restrictions on moving days or hours for the building. Ask your friends for help. Measure the clearance in doorways, stairwells, and elevators. Be sure you can get large items of furniture through. Make truck rental reservations 2 to 4 weeks in advance. Reserve furniture pads and dolly as needed. Gather moving supplies, boxes, tape. bubble wrap and paper for wrapping. Start packing as soon as possible, Start with off season and rarely used items. Reduce the amount that will be moved by donating to charity any items you don't need. Notify the Post Office of your move with a Change of Address form. Notify credit card companies magazines and periodicals of your new address. Pack a special box of things your will need immediately upon arrival such as toiletries, medicine, first aid kit, your new checks and a phone. If your bank does not have a branch near your new apartment - close your current account and open new accounts at a bank in your new neighborhood. Transfer any automatic withdrawals and deposits and order new checks. Register to vote. Call your local board of elections for information. Make arrangements to end phone service, gas and electrical service at your old home. Request the return of any security deposit or have it applied to your new location. Notify your new property manager of your new phone number. Ask the utility companies about any programs that allow customer to balance out seasonal differences and pay a set amount every month. Discuss with your Property Manager what to do in the event of a blown fuse. Review your requirements for renters insurance. Protect yourself with comprehensive personal property coverage. Write down the emergency numbers to call for Property Manager, electric and gas service, police & fire department, and ambulance service. XXXX How to Spot A Con Artist The Con Artist The clever con artist is a good actor who disarms his victims with an affable 'nice-guy' approach. But behind this friendly exterior is a shrewd psychologist who can isolate potential victims and break down their resistance to his proposals. Each conquest is part of a game in which he must 'best' his fellow man. The typical con artist is amoral—but seldom violent, and mobile, with an excellent sense of timing. He sincerely believes his victims deserve their fate. And, if caught, he'll probably strike again later. Con artists are seldom rehabilitated. The Victim Anyone can be a victim—even a person who considers himself too intelligent or sophisticated to be 'conned.' During the 1920's, ‘Yellow Kid' Weil routinely swindled bankers, saying "that's where the money is." Many victims share certain characteristics. Often, but not always, they are older, female, and live alone. They are trusting of others—even strangers — and may need or desire supplemental income. Loneliness, willingness to help, and a sense of charity are characteristics a con artist will exploit to gain a victim's cooperation. The con artist ultimately will exploit his victim's assets—including life insurance benefits, pensions or annuities,"nest eggs," home equity, or other tangible property. And he'll usually obtain the willing cooperation of his victim to complete his scheme. Key Words A con artist is difficult to detect by looks alone. But you can often spot him by his words or expressions, including: CASH ONLY Why is cash necessary for a proposed transaction? Why not a check? SECRET PLANS Why are you being asked not to tell anyone? GET RICH QUICK Any scheme should be carefully investigated. SOMETHING FOR NOTHING A "retired" swindler once said that any time you are promised something for nothing, you usually get nothing. CONTESTS Make sure they aren't a 'come-on' to draw you into a money-losing scheme. HASTE Be wary of any pressure that you must act immediately or lose out. TODAY ONLY If something is worthwhile today, it's likely to be available tomorrow. TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE Such a scheme is probably not good or true. LAST CHANCE If it's a chance worth taking, why is it offered on such short notice? LEFT-OVER MATERIAL Left-over material might also be stolen or defective. Schemes The list of fraudulent schemes is endless, but some of the more common con games involve: HOME IMPROVEMENT —home repair/improvement —city inspector —termites/pests BANK RELATED —bank examiner —pigeon drop INVESTMENT —franchise/vending —land frauds —inventions —security investments —work-at-home POSTAL FRAUDS —chain letters —magazine subscriptions —unordered merchandise —correspondence courses OTHERS —bait and switch —charity rackets —computer dating —debt consolidation —contracts —dance lessons —freezer plans —health clubs —psychic fraud —fortune tellers —job placement —lonely hearts —medical quackery —missing heirs —referral sales —talent scouts —pyramid schemes —fake officials Some Rules Always investigate before investing money or signing a contract. Be suspicious about extraordinary promises of high or unusual monetary returns, or a 'bargain' no one else can match. Don't discuss your personal finances, give your credit card number when you have not initiated the telephone call or give cash to strangers. Don't be too embarrassed to report you've been victimized or swindled. Testify in court, if asked, to help stop this kind of crime. XXXX The Poverty Sharks Payday lenders feed on desperate borrowers swimming in debt. BY DAN ALLSUP "Neither a borrower nor a lender be," Shakespeare wrote in "Hamlet." He had it half right. Lending can be extremely profitable, especially if you operate a payday loan business. Strapped for cash but have spotty credit? No problem there's no credit check when you do business with a payday lender. They're more than willing to advance you a quick hundred bucks or so. Just flash them your driver's license and supply a bank account number and pay stub. Slide a postdated check across the counter and the money is yours -at least until payday. Here's how it works: you need $200 to make the car payment. You write a check for that amount plus the lender's fees, postdate it for next payday, and they hand over the cash. It's simple, fast and hassle-free. Who can object? You will, of course, after you realize the cost of the fees. The payday- loan industry avoids usury laws because many states consider the fees as the cost of doing business with poor credit risks. Ubiquitous on the Internet and sprinkled around low-income areas and near military installations, payday loan businesses cater to minority customers with less than college education and household incomes below $35,000. Predatory Rates. Payday lenders charge an annual percentage rate, or APR, that runs into the hundreds, sometimes thousands. One predatory Internet site charges $20 for each $100 borrowed, with the APR based on the number of days until payday. If it's seven days, you'll repay the loan at a staggering 1,043- percent APR. Repay in 18 days, the maximum with this particular company, and your annual percentage rate is a mere 406 percent. Another Internet site selling payday loan franchises says an annual return of more than 800 percent isn't all that difficult. It reminds future lenders they can add even more cash to their soon-to-be-bulging coffers by charging an initial "set-up" fee of $5 to $10 the first time an applicant receives an advance. Keep those numbers in mind when you hear about credit-card interest rates that usually top out at about 20 percent. According to the nonprofit Consumers Union, the high rates force many borrowers to incur even more fees because they are forced to extend their loans. The penalty for bouncing a check runs $20 to $30. Consumers Union cites a Wall Street analyst who says the average payday-loan customer makes 11 transactions a year. After a few visits to the neighborhood payday lender, borrowers in dire straits soon struggle to stay afloat. How to Arrive Safely Ashore. The Consumer Federation of America offers this advice if you find yourself in a short-term financial crisis: • Shop for the lowest-cost credit available from cash advances on credit cards, small loans from a credit union or ask for an advance from your employer. • If you need cash to pay a utility bill, ask for an extension instead. • If you must use a payday loan, borrow the absolute minimum you need to pay with your next paycheck and still have enough left to reach the next payday. • Get help if you are having ongoing financial problems. Budgeting and debt-management counseling is available from credit unions, most military installations and local nonprofit agencies. Dan Allsup is a St. Louis-area freelance writer. This article was published in The American Legion Magazine, Mar 03 **** Neighborhood Etiquette for Renters, Homeowners, and Landlords Keep our streets and alleys clean. Pick up trash in front of your residence and in the alley, and do not allow your friends to throw trash. Use garbage bags and place all trash in the dumpster. Do not blow yard trimmings & other debris into the street and alley. Pick sweepings up and deposit in the dumpster Keep noise to a minimum: loud music in your car and home, honking car horns, loud voices, and foul language are disturbing to your neighbors Observe speed limits when driving: remember we have children in our neighborhood. Criminal behaviors (fighting, drug sales/use, stealing, vandalism, gang activity) are against the law and will not be tolerated. Promptly report these behaviors and any suspicious activity by calling the police (dial 911). Mow your lawn on a timely basis. Keep trees and bushes trimmed. Renters: advise your landlord about problem tenants and needed repairs on the building. Dog owners are responsible for picking up dog feces. Pick it promptly, especially when walking your dog. Remember, city ordinance requires that all dogs must be on a leash when not confined by fences. Unwanted or unused vehicles should not be parked on the street parking spaces are too limited. Major car repairs should be done in a garage or off the street. Pick up newspapers the day they are delivered. Recycle them Move your car on street cleaning days. Allow the city to help us keep the neighborhood clean. Use your back yard for entertaining guests rather than congregating in front of your house. Do not allow your teenagers to socialize on the street corners. Grocery carts are not to be brought home from Shop N Save, Schnucks, etc. RESPECT YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD Important City Telephone Numbers Citizens' Service Bureau 622-4800 Neighborhood Stabilization Team 622-4628 Housing Conservation District 622-3352 Recycling Manager 353-8877 Operation Brightside 781-4556 Animal Regulation Center 353-5838 St Louis Metropolitan Police, General Information Line 231-1212 North Patrol Division 444-0001 Central Patrol Division 444-2500 South Patrol Division 444-0100 Emergency (fire or police 911 The Articles contained in this news letter and on the stlouislandlord.com web site are included for the informational, educational and occasional amusement value the might provide. Articles are not included to represent the definitive answer to any situation. They are not intended to provide legal advice. And they are not intended to represent the views of any board member or general member of the Carondelet/Holly Hills Landlords' Association. Read, Enjoy. Use what you can and leave the rest. If you have any questions, comments or story ideas Please contact Patty at 314-352-9140
Place: Southern Commercial Bank
- 5515 S. Grand
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