In America, you have the right to go into business. You do not have a right to be successful in business. If you are unsuccessful, and most businesses do fail, then you have to settle up with your creditors in one way or another. We have quite liberal bankruptcy laws, compared to other countries, and that has helped to create an environment conducive to entrepreneurial risk-taking.

All of these landowners went into the real estate business. Ten years ago, it was difficult to lose money buying houses and flipping them or renting them out. Things change. Now the landlord business is back to what it has usually been; a good business if you have the capital to operate, but a black hole if you are undercapitalized.

This needs to apply to banks, too. I've got two houses on my block that Bank of America refuses to do anything with and they are falling down. Countrywide made rotten loans, took the fees and dumped the toxic waste of BofA. BofA dumped the loans into tranches of derivatives, and they couldn't care less what happens to these houses or the neighborhoods. They shouldn't be allowed to privatize their profit, socialize the costs, and damage the property value of everyone else in the area.

Property owners with vacant, decaying properties are failing in business. Their failure inflicts damage on everyone else in their neighborhood. They need to be forced into bankruptcy, so someone can buy and rehab the property, or bulldoze it if it is too far gone. Of course all property taxes and assessments need to be paid to all the rest of us, as well.

We're having a hard enough time in this economy without subsidizing failed businesses. Enough is enough.

it is not that hard; if the Mayor and his squad of Police would stop kicking people out of there homes; they would not be abandon eyesores!

The more I read about the foolishness and despair in Minneapolis, the better I feel about staying away from it.

"We watched the community get raped by the banking industry, by the investment industry. ... This is our turn to demand our pound of flesh," said Council Member Don Samuels. ---- Who are you trying to fool Don? YOU raped your own community by giving away their money to Zygi Wilf! If you got your 'pound of flesh,' as you are now posturing for, you would give that also to Zygi.

Here is a turn of events: John Hoff the self-proclaimed NoMi revitalizer who reports his neighbors for housing code violations has been hit with administrative orders and could face fines from the City of Minneapolis to bring his house up to code. When he bought the home on 26th & Bryant Avenue North in 2008 it didn't have a functioning furnace or water heater, and was missing considerable plumbing. WITHOUT OBTAINING PERMITS, he made unauthorized repairs to the home which he now rents out WITHOUT A RENTAL LICENSE. Recently, the City of Minneapolis issued orders to have the house brought up to code and to be in compliance with the Truth in Housing report filed before he bought the house. His failure to bring o up to code will result in fines, and possible condemnation. Currently, Hoff is an absentee landlord renting out his out-of-compliance house to two people he calls “roommates”, even though he hasn’t lived in the house for over one year. According to Hoff’s neighbors they have not seen his in months, some claiming the only people seen around the house have been his two renters. It’s worth pointing out that the house only has two bedrooms, and if Hoff were actually living there and each had his own bedroom, one bedroom would be unauthorized under building code. The question has to seriously be asked: Why does the City of Minneapolis ignore John Hoff’s refusal to comply with his own housing code violations, while at the same time allowing him to file numerous 311 complaints about others in the City of Minneapolis? Why do they keep letting him "slide" without the same follow-up they inflict on other landlords? Is someone protecting him? We know Hoff is personal friends with Councilmember Don Samuels who chairs the powerful Public Safety Committee, and that Samuels even testified on Hoff’s behalf at a recent civil trial. John Hoff himself has written in his blog that he sends Samuels “trinkets of nominal value” to show his appreciation. This situation appears to have the appearance of impropriety. Investigators recently discovered that in a fatal south Minneapolis fire that the house was an unlicensed rental, although the owner claimed that his tenants were “roommates”, just like Hoff is doing. What will it take to get the City of Minneapolis to crack down on John Hoff’s unlicensed rental that needs to be brought up to code, another fatality?

"We watched the community get raped by the banking industry, by the investment industry. ... This is our turn to demand our pound of flesh," said Council Member Don Samuels. Is Don Samuels referring to the same banks that gave him favorable rates when he refinanced his own home? The same banks that refinanced his home for a value more than his home is worth? Sounds a little hypocritical to accuse the banks of rape, after you willingly climbed into bed with them.

"They found the true cost of maintaining a vacant building was more than triple the $2,000 the city was then charging." --- After seeing the non-responsiveness of Mpls Inspections about a vacant house near my in-laws, I do not believe they spend anywhere close to $7000 a year inspecting and maintain vacant buildings. That being said, I think the $7000 per year fee is reasonable given the impact of vacant homes on the surrounding neighborhood.

Part of the problem with property complaints is that everything goes through 311, and those morons can't get anything straight. It's like talking to a brick wall to get 311 to give you any information, and they won't give you the phone numbers to talk to the inspectors directly.

@sharkyshark, and we appreciate it, believe me.

masqueanadie you forget these are SEIU employee's, $7k annually barely covers admin costs.