Spigner addresses IREM on housing.At a recent Institute of Real Estate Management This article or section needs sources or references that appear in reliable, third-party publications. Alone, primary sources and sources affiliated with the subject of this article are not sufficient for an accurate encyclopedia article. luncheon Councilman Archie Spigner showed concern for a number of the problems facing the city's multi-family housing industry. The 31st floor banquet aerie of the St. Moritz St. Moritz (German: Sankt Moritz, Romansh: San Murezzan) is a popular resort town in the Engadine valley in Switzerland. Hotel, surrounded by some of the city's toniest dwellings, was an apropos ap·ro·pos adj. Being at once opportune and to the point. See Synonyms at relevant. adv. 1. At an appropriate time; opportunely. 2. placeto discuss water, lead and property taxes, which affect every housing price range. Water bills have a devastating dev·as·tate tr.v. dev·as·tat·ed, dev·as·tat·ing, dev·as·tates 1. To lay waste; destroy. 2. To overwhelm; confound; stun: was devastated by the rude remark. effect on housing in general, Spigner observed, with a particular emphasis on low- and moderate-income dwellings. Unfortunately, he continued, rates are set by the Water Board, which was granted the authority by state law. Spigner pointed to a $200 million Water Board surplus and noted the Council has told the board to either redistribute the money or reduce the rates. lie is hopeful `that COBRA (the Council Off-Budget Review and Accountability Act), which would give greater oversight to the City Council with regard to authorities and non'budget connected agencies, will be passed in Albany, as well. Spigner said lead was "the mother of asbestos and the mother of water," particularly if court mandated abatement becomes necessary. Costs per two'bedroom unit have been estimated at $15,000 to $20,000 to fully abate abate v. to do away with a problem, such as a public or private nuisance or some structure built contrary to public policy. This can include dikes which illegally direct water onto a neighbors property, high volume noise from a rock band or a factory, an improvement and encapsulate en·cap·su·late v. 1. To form a capsule or sheath around. 2. To become encapsulated. en·cap lead paint and Spigner deemed such a program the end of the housing industry. "We don't need any more buildings in rem [Latin, In the thing itself.] A lawsuit against an item of property, not against a person (in personam). An action in rem is a proceeding that takes no notice of the owner of the property but determines rights in the property that are conclusive against all the ," he added. As the head of the Mayor's Lead Task Force, Spigner is hopeful that critical areas the group has identified, including windows and doors, can be the focus of abatement law efforts. Spigner acknowledged the involvement of the Real Estate Board of New York New York, state, United States New York, Middle Atlantic state of the United States. It is bordered by Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and the Atlantic Ocean (E), New Jersey and Pennsylvania (S), Lakes Erie and Ontario and the Canadian province of , the Small Property Owners and the Rent Stabil ization Association with the task force. "John Gilbert [the Rent Stabilization Association's president], has a good grasp of this issue and is quite an expert on it," Spigner said. The Council is also concerned about the health of business and is working with the mayor to hold down additional real estate tax increases, Spigner said. Pointing to the inequities of the real estate tax system, particularly between single-family homes and the cooperatives/condominiums, Spigner observed that the single-family Class I house is assessed at only 6 percent to 7 percent of its value while a Class II condo is assessed at 45 percent, and pays that much more. "I live in a Class I," Spigner admitted, "but I have to look beyond my own self interest as a legislator ... to do for the city as a whole. We don't want to see more buildings delinquent." |
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