Sat
Feb 24 2007
09:12 am
Stacey X in the House: Developer and slumlord protection act
By: R. Neal

Stacey X has introduced a series of interesting bills regarding housing and real estate.

HB983 (PDF format) completely redefines "blight" and severely narrows the current definition. The change eliminates "dilapidation, obsolescence, overcrowding, lack of ventilation, light and sanitary facilities, deleterious land use, or any combination of these or other factors, [that] are detrimental to the safety, health, morals, or welfare of the community" as elements of blight. It also specifically excludes loss of property value to surrounding properties as an element of blight, and restricts "blighted areas" to a single parcel.

HB1649 (PDF format) would limit damages for improper variances from zoning or building codes to the local government that approved them. Developers would be held harmless and could not be named as a defendants.

HB778 (PDF format) prohibits a local government from condemning blighted property and transferring it to another private entity. Instead, it allows only repair or demolition, with the property owner being charged for the costs by way of a tax lien. And if I read it correctly, the owner of the blighted property would have two years to get their condemned property back. (The bill appears to have a defect, though. It defines "economic development" as a legal term for the purposes of the statute, but the term is never used or referenced in the text of the statute.)

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Bbeanster's picture

This is a scary bill. If the

Submitted by Bbeanster on Sat, 2007/02/24 - 11:19am.

This is a scary bill.

If the Campfield property I've seen is a representative sample, he is a slumlord, so there is some personal benefit in this bill for him. I see an element of his relationship with Mark Saroff here, too (although I agree that the gubmint shouldn't be in the business of taking one person's property for the purpose of giving it to another)-- but there should be a mechanism to protect the neighborhood from the negligence of others. And absolving developers from liability for bad results is a recipe for abuse.

Rachel's picture

This is a scary bill.Yup.

Submitted by Rachel on Sat, 2007/02/24 - 1:04pm.

This is a scary bill.

Yup. And typical of The Rep. Eminent domain wrt blighted properties is a complicated subject. But Stacey doesn't do nuance.

specifically excludes loss of property value to surrounding properties as an element of blight

Geez, how is this even a property rights bill? Property values of surrounding owners don't even count?

rikki's picture

farm bill

Submitted by rikki on Sat, 2007/02/24 - 4:56pm.

I doubt someone as ethical and intelligent as Campfield would use his public office for personal gain. If I remember correctly, he actually refuses PAC money so he can serve with pure intent.

More likely, this bill reflects a legitimate concern among his sprawlyburb constituents to protect the few remaining barns and farmhouses in their area from being taken for road-widening and subdividing projects perpetrated by the county and well connected developers who can repair their roofs without worrying about the price of corn and burley futures.

Rachel's picture

This bill would have nothing

Submitted by Rachel on Sat, 2007/02/24 - 6:52pm.

This bill would have nothing to do with taking property by eminent domain for infrastructure improvements. It wouldn't prevent "barns and farmhouses" from being taken to build roads etc.

It has to do with using eminent domain in blighted areas. Like, say, Jackson Avenue.

rikki's picture

That's preposterous; Jackson

Submitted by rikki on Sat, 2007/02/24 - 7:01pm.

That's preposterous; Jackson Avenue is not in Campfield's district.

Rachel's picture

Jackson Avenue

Submitted by Rachel on Sat, 2007/02/24 - 7:16pm.

:)

R. Neal's picture

Yes. Read the new proposed

Submitted by R. Neal on Sat, 2007/02/24 - 7:24pm.

Yes. Read the new proposed law. Certain Jackson Ave. properties would qualify as blighted, at least in light of current events. They didn't do their homework, or they submitted the bill before the recent unpleasantness.

(P.S. I think Rikki forgot the [/sarcasm] tags.)

rikki's picture

would you believe...

Submitted by rikki on Sat, 2007/02/24 - 8:00pm.

wouldn't prevent "barns and farmhouses" from being taken

bards and yarnhouses?

LadyVols's picture

I see an element of his

Submitted by LadyVols on Sun, 2007/02/25 - 10:29am.

I see an element of his relationship with Mark Saroff here, too"

WOW, thanks! I had no idea the two were connected but now it is easy to see. You should write about it no other journalist has even mentioned these two are connected.

He is always coming up with odd ball things in Nashville, although the death certificates are a great idea and the folks at church are really going to try and help him get that done!

talidapali's picture

Not really...

Submitted by talidapali on Sun, 2007/02/25 - 6:15pm.

He is always coming up with odd ball things in Nashville, although the death certificates are a great idea and the folks at church are really going to try and help him get that done!

the death certificates thing is just a way to get personal information on women who have abortions in order to intimidate them into not seeking medical help to abort. Tennessee already has a way to track how many abortions are done in this state and it does NOT include any personal information regarding the mother or father. A death certificate REQUIRES the Social Security numbers of the parents and therefore COULD be used by anti-choice groups to target women who have gotten an abortion for aggressive and intrusive scare tactics to send a message to other women that may be considering an abortion as an alternative to an unwanted pregnancy. This proposed legislation is just one more way for the Rep to figuratively beat up on women.

"You can't fix stupid..." ~ Ron White"

"I never said I wasn't a brat..." ~ Talidapali

edens's picture

>it allows only repair or

Submitted by edens on Sun, 2007/02/25 - 1:27pm.

>it allows only repair or demolition, with the property owner >being charged for the costs by way of a tax lien.

Yeah, because everyone knows how slumlords are careful to keep their taxes current.

>specifically excludes loss of property value to surrounding >properties as an element of blight

Well, the surrounding property owners have every right to sell their property on the open market, quite possibly to the guy who owns the blighted property that's running them off. How do you think some slumlords assemble portfolios of 30-50 rental houses in the inner city?

edens's picture

Interesting that, while

Submitted by edens on Sun, 2007/02/25 - 5:11pm.

Interesting that, while "blighted" property tends to be concentrated within the center city and blighted property acquisitions such as the city's Homemaker program largely occur within Knoxville's center city, Campfield's district is, by and large, inner-suburban West Knoxville (where in my several years on the Better Building Board, I never saw a single acquisition, or much in the way a citation for codes violations, either)

Care to guess, though, where the Rep's rental properties are concentrated?

edens's picture

Actually, considering where

Submitted by edens on Sun, 2007/02/25 - 5:27pm.

Actually, considering where several of his rental properties are, Campfield's position gets even more interesting in light of this goal stated in the 5th and Broadway Task Force's report to the mayor:

"Support implementation of the North Knoxville redevelopment area proposed to council."

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