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I think the two are related in a "vicious cycle" way. People construct illegal apartments to get extra income to pay their property taxes. This results in greater strain on municipal services an property tax increases. In turn, more homeowners build illegal apartments to pay their tax bills....and so on and so on and so on.
So what is the solution? I don't think the vast majority of apartments in owner occupied houses have any effect on quality of life/neighborhood character, but the ones that do are often terrible examples that shock people. Somewhat surprisingly, Brookhaven had a halfway decent program in which they allow small 1 bedroom apartments in single family homes provided a list of codes are met. There's an approval process and inspection prior to legalization as well as a renewal process.
offer a cash incentive to neighbors and enforcement agents to report and evict illegal renters and fine homeowners or slumlords who support these apts. Not a token fine - how about 5k or 1 year behind bars. That will help to lower our taxes.
Well on average keeping an individual behind bars for one year in the United States is over $30K. In terms of offering money to inform on one's neighbors, it all sounds a bit Stallin-esq to me. Renting an illegal apt. in itself is a code violation, not a criminal act, so the court system can't be used unless it becomes criminal (drug sales, prostitution, other illegal activity taking place there).
I think providing a way for landlords (most of whom are not scumbags/slumlords but looking to get extra income to pay bills like all of us) to legalize what they have, pay some extra tax and make sure codes are being followed is the most sensible solution.
You're correct about the expense for incarceration, I forgot to take that into account. Raise the fine to 50K, no jail time. I stand however on the incentive for law abiding homeowners to rid their neighborhood of illegal renters. Money talks, you know what walks.
Renting an illegal apt. in itself is a code violation, not a criminal act, so the court system can't be used unless it becomes criminal (drug sales, prostitution, other illegal activity taking place there).
It's also a Federal offense. It's called "tax evasion".
Worse than murder in the eyes of Uncle Sam.
The illegal apartment problem absolutely has an impact on property taxes.
Imagine needing to feed 100 people but only 50 of them have money in their pocket. That other 50 needs to make up the difference.
Also imagine that none of the 100 people want to eat less food either.
Not fair for the 50 that have to dig deeper only to recieve the same amount of food as everybody else.
I understand the problems related to these illegal rentals. Slumlords should be punished to the fullest extent of the law. However, I am thinking that most folks w/ illegals rentals in thier house are NOT slumlords, as noted above.
Looking at the other side of the equation, where are these renters supposed to go? Legal rentals on LI a few and far between, not to mention very expensive. There's lots of hard working folks who simply can't afford them. Seems to me that the "illegal rental" problem on LI is simply a market that had sprung up & grown to fill a need. Maybe we can find some way to get this need met legally?
-G
Last edited by grepman; 02-07-2010 at 01:52 PM..
Reason: spelling
do you think there is a correlation between our property taxes and illegal apartments?
I think there is a significantly greater correlation between the lack of apartment housing an "illegal apartments"
1) anywhere else in the country dividing a house into a "mother daughter" is considered legal, and the house is marketed as a duplex
2) Other areas of the country have apartment complexes, town house developments, these "duplexes" or affordable housing stock
I think most of the examples brought on this board are completely unrealistic. yes if 50% of the population were housed in illegal rentals, then yes, our taxes would be significanly higher. I would guess 10% tops. yes we are paying for it, but its a small part of the property tax burden.
throw the analysis one step further, the majority of those in these basement apartments are single people or couples, so they are not costing the town nearly as much as a family in general services, and they aren't using the schools, which are by far the costlist part of our taxes. yes they technically could be taxed. Easiest way to do that would be an income tax.
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