Greetings,
SHORT VERSION:
We need everyone possible, who can attend, to show up at the Columbia Heights City Council Meeting, tomorrow, Monday, July 28, 2008, to oppose the passage of the Residential Inspection Before Sale (RIBS) ordinance. It is an assault on property rights and freedom, and gives government power it does not legitimately have under our Constitution. See the detailed version of this email for further information. Oh, and those of you who are already informed of this issue, or whom I have previously contacted, my apologies for the redundancy. I just finished creating the mail list and am sending it to everyone. Thank you.
Gregory K. Sloat
4731 6th St. N.E.
DETAILED VERSION:
My name is Gregory (Greg) Sloat, and I'm the Chair for Precinct 8, in Columbia Heights. I am writing to all the people who attended last February's GOP Caucus in Columbia Heights for whom I have an email address, because I believe you are the people who care enough about this country to step up and be heard, and defend our Constitution and our freedom, and it starts at the local and grassroots level.
I'm trying to get as many people as possible to attend the next City Council Meeting, which is tomorrow, July 28, 2008, at 7:00 p.m. The City Council is planning on passing the new Residential Before Sale Inspection (RIBS) ordinance. This is a basic assault on your liberty and freedom, as it will require you to get "permission" from the city, in order to sell your own property, your home.
It will work like this. When you decide you want to sell your home, you have to go to the city and pay a fee (reported to be somewhere between $150-175), and have an inspection (the city is currently interviewing inspectors). If the inspector finds any repairs that need to be done, you'll have to do them before you can get the "certificate" that allows you to sell your home. If any of the work requires building permits, you'll have to purchase those and have the work done. After the repairs are made, you'll have to have another inspection (at your cost), and then IF your home passes, you'll get your "Certificate of Property Maintenance," which will allow you to sell your home. If your home still does not pass, the process starts all over, again. If you decide to not sell your home, you will still have to make any required repairs, within 90 days. If your home is on the market for over a year (not unheard of in the current real estate climate), you'll have to start the process over, because the certificate is only good for one year.
This will effectively kill selling your home, "as is," which will mean that people looking for affordable housing that they can buy as a "fixer upper," will have to look someplace else, other than Columbia Heights. It is the government telling you what you may or may not do, with your own property.
The North Metro REALTOR's Association is against this ordinance, for some very valid reasons which they describe in detail and back up with hard facts and data, and their remarks are contained within the City Council's Agenda (as is a copy of the full ordinance), for tomorrow's meeting (see pages 80-83 for the NMRA's remarks).
Donna Schmitt, currently on the Planning and Zoning Commission, who is running for City Council (for whom you should vote, because she'll protect and defend your rights), and who is ALSO against this ordinance, was kind enough to provide a link to the PDF file from the city, which has the Agenda, the ordinance, and the NMRA's remarks.
Here is the link: http://www.ci.columbia-heights.mn.us/city_council/agenda_minutes.asp
Please go to this link, read the ordinance, if you have time, but certainly read the remarks from the North Metro REALTOR's Association (it's only 3 pages, plus a chart).
I know this is short notice, but I'm asking any of you who can, to show up for tomorrow's City Council Meeting, and voice your STRONG opposition to this ordinance. NOWHERE in the Constitution does it allow government to require us to get "permission" to sell what is already and rightly ours. This is just another step in the steady and sure attack on our liberty and freedom. This will certainly negatively impact the Columbia Heights real estate market. There have been several good letters printed in both the Northeaster and the Columbia Heights Sun-Focus regarding this issue. We need to pack the Council Chambers on Monday evening, and show them that we are NOT going to accept this, and that we will vote out of office anyone who votes in favor of this ordinance.
Sincerely,
Gregory K. Sloat
SHORT VERSION:
We need everyone possible, who can attend, to show up at the Columbia Heights City Council Meeting, tomorrow, Monday, July 28, 2008, to oppose the passage of the Residential Inspection Before Sale (RIBS) ordinance. It is an assault on property rights and freedom, and gives government power it does not legitimately have under our Constitution. See the detailed version of this email for further information. Oh, and those of you who are already informed of this issue, or whom I have previously contacted, my apologies for the redundancy. I just finished creating the mail list and am sending it to everyone. Thank you.
Gregory K. Sloat
4731 6th St. N.E.
DETAILED VERSION:
My name is Gregory (Greg) Sloat, and I'm the Chair for Precinct 8, in Columbia Heights. I am writing to all the people who attended last February's GOP Caucus in Columbia Heights for whom I have an email address, because I believe you are the people who care enough about this country to step up and be heard, and defend our Constitution and our freedom, and it starts at the local and grassroots level.
I'm trying to get as many people as possible to attend the next City Council Meeting, which is tomorrow, July 28, 2008, at 7:00 p.m. The City Council is planning on passing the new Residential Before Sale Inspection (RIBS) ordinance. This is a basic assault on your liberty and freedom, as it will require you to get "permission" from the city, in order to sell your own property, your home.
It will work like this. When you decide you want to sell your home, you have to go to the city and pay a fee (reported to be somewhere between $150-175), and have an inspection (the city is currently interviewing inspectors). If the inspector finds any repairs that need to be done, you'll have to do them before you can get the "certificate" that allows you to sell your home. If any of the work requires building permits, you'll have to purchase those and have the work done. After the repairs are made, you'll have to have another inspection (at your cost), and then IF your home passes, you'll get your "Certificate of Property Maintenance," which will allow you to sell your home. If your home still does not pass, the process starts all over, again. If you decide to not sell your home, you will still have to make any required repairs, within 90 days. If your home is on the market for over a year (not unheard of in the current real estate climate), you'll have to start the process over, because the certificate is only good for one year.
This will effectively kill selling your home, "as is," which will mean that people looking for affordable housing that they can buy as a "fixer upper," will have to look someplace else, other than Columbia Heights. It is the government telling you what you may or may not do, with your own property.
The North Metro REALTOR's Association is against this ordinance, for some very valid reasons which they describe in detail and back up with hard facts and data, and their remarks are contained within the City Council's Agenda (as is a copy of the full ordinance), for tomorrow's meeting (see pages 80-83 for the NMRA's remarks).
Donna Schmitt, currently on the Planning and Zoning Commission, who is running for City Council (for whom you should vote, because she'll protect and defend your rights), and who is ALSO against this ordinance, was kind enough to provide a link to the PDF file from the city, which has the Agenda, the ordinance, and the NMRA's remarks.
Here is the link: http://www.ci.columbia-heights.mn.us/city_council/agenda_minutes.asp
Please go to this link, read the ordinance, if you have time, but certainly read the remarks from the North Metro REALTOR's Association (it's only 3 pages, plus a chart).
I know this is short notice, but I'm asking any of you who can, to show up for tomorrow's City Council Meeting, and voice your STRONG opposition to this ordinance. NOWHERE in the Constitution does it allow government to require us to get "permission" to sell what is already and rightly ours. This is just another step in the steady and sure attack on our liberty and freedom. This will certainly negatively impact the Columbia Heights real estate market. There have been several good letters printed in both the Northeaster and the Columbia Heights Sun-Focus regarding this issue. We need to pack the Council Chambers on Monday evening, and show them that we are NOT going to accept this, and that we will vote out of office anyone who votes in favor of this ordinance.
Sincerely,
Gregory K. Sloat
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