Few if any differences exist between a residential cooperative and an apartment building, some city officials say. According to some legal definitions, a cooperative is an association or corporation that owns a group of housing units that have common areas for residents’ use. The units – like apartment units – can be leased to tenants. “It appears that a lot of times they still function as an apartment, yet they’re getting different tax treatment,” said West Des Moines City Attorney Richard Scieszinski. “Obviously, that’s why the owners are calling them one thing, when in fact they might function as something different.”
Author Archive
Jun
25
FILL Meeting – All Landlords Invited
Posted by: | CommentsFILL meeting Monday night, June 28, 6 p.m. at Casas Las Glorias, on Blairsferry Road just off the interstate — back party room. I have invited Landlords of Linn County members and the board of directors, along with sending out an invitation to the local realtor association. Read More→
Jun
25
Call to Action
Posted by: | CommentsDear Members: The Board of Directors of the Landlords of Linn County needs to know your thoughts about Chapter 29. Please either post to this link or email me @ President@LandlordsofLinnCounty.org to let us know if you support, object or are indifferent to Chapter 29. This will Read More→
Jun
15
Final Coffee with Council
Posted by: | CommentsThe Mayor and City Council members will be at the HyVee at 5050 Edgewood Rd NE this Saturday from 8 to 10 am. This is the last Saturday morning coffee meeting.
Jun
15
Chapter 29 – Sheryl Jahnel, Member
Posted by: | CommentsI am asking if you agree, please contact your city council and mayor and ask that this not be passed if this proposed Chapter 29 and Crime Free Agreement is placed on the agenda 6-22-10. > > Please review the attached proposed Chapter 29/Crime Free Agreement. I have Read More→
Jun
15
Chapter 29 – Dick Rehman
Posted by: | CommentsHousing Inspection Department Initial Inspection or Re-Inspection billing method and fees. Objections to changing to an annual billing system and increasing the inspection fees.
- An annual billing system will:
A. Increase invoicing cost by about $26,000 a year or $130,000 over 5 years. Plus require additional annual follow-up cost to check on those who did not pay from their first invoice. B. Require the City Treasurer to post the receipts of 4000 checks and update their records each year. It was said the current system needs improving to timely handle the posting of the present 800 housing inspection checks that are received each year, so processing 3200 more checks annually would add additional strains to an already taxed system. Read More→
Jun
08
Cedar Rapids will help empty your pocketbook!!!!
Posted by: | CommentsChapter 29 is yet again on the agenda. Come to Thursday Night’s meeting at the Clarion to discuss HOW MUCH IT IS GOING TO COST YOU!!!!! Fees are going to go up unless we act as a TEAM! Don’t forget to RSVP for dinner. See you all Read More→
Jun
07
Sunday’s Editorial – by Stephanie Feuss
Posted by: | CommentsGo ahead, convert to co-op and save
Posted on Jun 06, 2010 by Jeff Tecklenburg.
Stephanie Feuss By Stephanie Feuss To co-op or not to co-op. That is the hot topic among multifamily property owners and managers as they weigh whether to convert apartment buildings to co-ops (and Read More→
May
26
Chapter 29 Comments: Dick Rehman
Posted by: | CommentsChapter 29; Housing Code 29.04 C # 4 & 29.05 a #6 & 7; Why does the Housing Inspection Department need to know the name, addresses and telephone numbers of the individuals responsible for the maintenance and management of the registered premises? Why is not the owner’s name and management office numbers sufficient information? 29.04 # 6; Revoke, deny or not renew a license for one year for a violation of the Crime Free Agreement. See comments on Crime Free Lease Agreement below. 29.05 A # 8; Why does the Housing Inspection Department need to know the lien-holder(s)? 29.05; Why is a Rental Registration Permit valid for only one year? Why is the same registration information required to be submitted each year? Submitting duplicate information each year is extremely wasteful. More than 95% of the information will have been submitted before. Why can’t just the changed information be submitted each year? 29.06 (b) (2) Requires an initial inspection within no less than thirty five (35) calendar days to allow violations to be corrected. What about repairs that cannot be done in 35 day period like reroofing a dwelling or doing exterior painting and concrete work in the winter time? 29.07; Why is this necessary to place the rental permit decal on the electrical service panel door? The Housing Inspection Department has the record of the rental permit and no one else uses the information. Read More→
May
21
Notes from Joe Kelly
Posted by: | CommentsSome of you may have seen this story in the DM Register this week. I have also heard that the Cedar Rapids Gazette had a similar story. The big news in the story is that there is a pending case before the Iowa Supreme Court that would disallow apartments and manufactured housing communities from changing over to cooperatives.
Joe Kelly
Iowa cities fight ‘loophole’ on cooperative residences
By JASON PULLIAM • jpulliam@dmreg.com • May 13, 2010
A gray area in Iowa law that lets owners of apartment complexes call the buildings residential cooperatives – and save money on property taxes – is being challenged by cities that stand to lose millions of dollars. “It’s a major loophole,” Des Moines City Councilwoman Christine Hensley said. “It has a huge negative impact on the budget.” More than 100 residential buildings in Polk County have been classified as cooperatives in the past three or four years, according to the Polk County assessor’s office.
Apartment buildings or trailer parks that are classified as “multiple Read More→
May
21
Invitation from FILL – City Meeting Monday
Posted by: | CommentsAttached is an email from FILL (Flood Impacted LandLords) inviting us to a meeting on Monday night as well as some of their views as to what is going on. I am working closely with FILL to oppose Chapter 29 but we all need Read More→
