641 Main Street
Building Commissioner Rob Morra has entered a final phase for rolling in the Rental Registration and Permit Bylaw set to the tune, "No More Mr. Nice Guy."
The law was overwhelmingly passed by Amherst Town Meeting last year and went into effect January 1st. It requires all rental properties to register with the town, pay $100 annual fee, and fill out a check list verifying adherence to basic health safety regulations.
Out of 1300 rental properties in town that come under the ordinance only 32 have failed to comply. As of May 30th the lower 13 properties on the list (below red line) have been issued $100 per day fines. Yes, that's the total annual cost of compliance now paid PER DAY.
Already the town has received $1,500 in fines, and for those who refuse to pay the fines complaints will be filed in District Court at the end of this month.
Already the town has received $1,500 in fines, and for those who refuse to pay the fines complaints will be filed in District Court at the end of this month.
The top 19 properties (above red line) will be issued $100/day fines starting this week as their deadline to comply was Friday the 13th. Bad luck for them, good thing for the town.
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9 comments:
So one of those people owes $400 for like 2 weeks? Seems a bit draconian.
Yikes! I know someone on the list who lives outside the U.S. She probably doesn't know and could be bankrupted by the fines.
How does the town know a house is a rental unless the owner/renter tells them in the first place? Seems like a lot of houses could easily be missed.
Off-topic, but if you're wondering about all the alarms clearly audible in Amherst, UMPD reports a gas leak in Southwest and requests evacuation from the immediate area:
*****
Health and Safety Alert, Please leave and avoid the southwest area,
evacuate to the southwest lots. Avoid Massachuesetts Ave and
Commonwealth ave by Melville leave the area immediately due to gas leak.
*****
11:09, maybe the town could create a way to report them.
Oh, golly, my heart goes out to the landlord who lives outside the U.S. ... NOT!
The town sent notices to every property owner in town, that registration was required for all rental units.
These absentee landlords deserve every penny of fines they get. They could pay just $100/year but because they couldn't be bothered to take care of their property they have to pay 365 times that amount until they comply.
Go Morra! We are behind you 100%!!!
Fraternity houses come under this?
That strikes me as "Double Jeopardy" -- you first get them as fraternity houses (which is what they are) and then turn around and say "never mind, you're actually an apartment building."
You can't do that - it's like the distinction between a motorcycle and a car -- you only need one license plate and once the state said it's a motorcycle plate you need, the cops can't bust folks for not having a car plate on the bike.
No surprise Amir is on this list. Wanna buy a used car, anyone?
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