Envy Apartment

Property owners are costing the city of Madison millions of dollars by taking advantage of a loophole in a state law created in 2001. By registering the property as a limited-liability corporation, such as Steve Brown Apartments , LLC, rather than as a parcel of land, owners are allowed to sell property without filing the selling price with the city of Madison. The owner is then automatically exempt from real estate transfer fees and can easily avoid high property taxes because no sale price is recorded and the city does not know the property’s actual value. Shielding the actual value often results in an underestimation by the city of the property assessments and a lowering of the amount owners must pay in property tax. “It reduces taxes paid to Madison Area Technical College , the Madison School District and various entities on the property tax bill . Theoretically they’re getting away with not paying their fair share,” said City Council President Mike Verveer . Verveer said th...

The New York City housing market is truly a beast of its own. We are living in a world where you can't simply buy a house, white picket fence , and start planting the seeds of your American Dream. Instead, our homes are divided into a series of different housing types. For those of you looking to buy, or simply for those of you looking to understand more about the housing industry in the city, here is a breakdown of the most popular forms of home ownership in New York City: Cooperative Roughly 75 percent of the Manhattan housing inventory is comprised of co-ops. Unlike a condo, co-ops are are owned by a corporation. This means, when you buy an apartment that is in a co-op building, you are not actually buying real property (like you would in a condo). You are in fact, buying shares of the corporation. These shares entitle you to a proprietary lease, which relates your relationship to the building close to that of an investor, rather than a condo building, where you are the outr...

Buy Photo Local developers seeking rezoning for multi-family residential off Rollow Lane near the industrial park include Jimmy Settle , left, and Dennis Ziolkowski, right. (Photo: Jimmy Settle/The Leaf-Chronicle) Buy Photo CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. — Local developers seeking rezoning for multi- family residential land uses near the Clarksville- Montgomery County Corporate Business Park say they're not looking for a fight with the local Industrial Development Board . But if it eventually comes down to that, the trio of developers feel comfortable in their position. "We're not looking to do battle with the Industrial Board . In fact we think we are proposing something to help them," said Dennis Ziolkowski of Cumberland Land Partners , who is seeking rezoning alongside local developers Rex Hawkins and Jimmy Settle (not to be confused with this writer). While IDB Executive Director Mike Evans says their request potentially encroaches on the industrial park , damaging bu...

Mark Painter (Photo: (c)Pamela Ebel) Mark Painter served as a judge for 30 years. He is the author of six books and a member of the Enquirer’s Board of Contributors. In 1965, I lived in a basement apartment in Corryville. It was a vibrant neighborhood – a doctor’s office, two delis, an actual mom-and- pop dry cleaner , and perhaps the best bar and restaurant ever – the original Lakewood Tavern at Jefferson and Lakewood. What’s there now? The entire tax-paying environment was destroyed to build the Environment Protection Agency . Not that it couldn’t have been built on empty land nearby – UC and the Feds just wanted it as close to the university as possible. It’s sterile and ugly to boot. The small businesses were gone. The homeowners gone. Tax- paying property replaced by non-taxpaying property. Population lost. When you destroy a neighborhood, you tear the fabric of the community. Connections lost. Roots lost. And so it goes. Buy Photo Several dozen houses in Avondale -- abandoned ...

A few dozen people spent their lunch hour Aug . 22 discussing City of Carmel projects as part of the Carmel Small Business Network . Carmel Mayor Jim Brainard spoke in the city council chambers about issues such as property taxes, debt and proposed projects such as purchasing an antique carousel and constructing a luxury hotel. Brainard told the group of business owners he’s sending his 2018 budget to the Carmel City Council and that he expects the tax rate to remain flat. He defended his plan to spend approximately $5 million to acquire an antique carousel built in 1907. “It will make it a more interesting visit to Carmel,” he said. Brainard also explained how it makes financial sense for the city to become part owners of a luxury hotel in the Carmel City Center area . He said most hotel chains wants to see big returns on investment, and the city is happier with smaller profit margins from the hotel because of what it will mean for economic development. “If we’re going to g...

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (WAVY) — The city council has approved a $60 million mixed-use development near Town Center — and with it, comes a deal with the developer. The city has agreed to reimburse $10.2 million in paid real estate taxes to Ripley Heatwole Inc. to help build a parking garage, with some public spaces, on the property at Constitution Drive and Bonney Road. Many speakers and Councilwoman Jessica Abbott called the deal “corporate welfare” before the council gave the green light. Abbott and Bobby Dyer voted against CityView Two, the name of the development that will bring more than 200 apartments, retail space and even a hotel to the 23-acre property over the next six years. “Every government needs to be responsible for their taxes or how they spend the money,” said one man from the podium. Councilwoman Barbara Henley says the money is not currently in the city’s coffers and will be generated only because the new development is being built. Henley points out the city has pro...

Balancing the needs of the residents who live here and the tourists who come to visit requires political will and leadership. After years of discussions and failed proposals, it’s time for clarity on an issue central to San Diego’s housing and tourism markets — short- term vacation rentals . Through a March 15, 2017 memo, City Attorney Mara Elliott opined that short-term rentals are illegal under the current City zoning laws . The City is now awaiting regulatory guidance from the City Council before taking any action to enforce the City Attorney ’s memo. My proposed regulatory framework respects the rights of property owners, upholds current zoning laws and creates a workable compromise. I will present a draft ordinance for community review at a public Town Hall meeting 6 -7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 30, at the La Jolla Community Center . My proposal protects the rights of homeowners who wish to participate in home sharing by renting out a room in their home to help make ends me...

IN THE COMMONWEALTH COURT OF PENNSYLVANIA FP Willow Ridge Associates , L.P., : : Appellant : : v. : No. 1846 C.D. 2016 : Argued: June 5, 2017 Allen Township and Northampton : Borough : BEFORE: HONORABLE P. KEVIN BROBSON, Judge HONORABLE MICHAEL H. WOJCIK, Judge HONORABLE JOSEPH M. COSGROVE, Judge OPINION BY JUDGE WOJCIK FILED : July 6, 2017 FP Willow Ridge Associates , L.P., (Willow Ridge) appeals from an order of the Court of Common Pleas of Northampton County (trial court) that granted Allen Township ’s (Township) motion for summary judgment against Willow Ridge and dismissed as moot Northampton Bor...

PARK SLOPE, BROOKLYN — If you've ever wanted to live in the old Brooklyn home of a notorious gangster, you've got a chance to do it. The Park Slope home where Al Capone used to live is up for sale, and it will only cost you a cool $2.5 million to move in. Capone grew up in a nearby building on Garfield Place, according to realtor.com, and moved into this listing in the early 1900s. "If he had lived here today, he wouldn’t have to go into the rum-running business," listing agent Bren Salamon told Patch . That's because Capone could make some serious dough from the two rental units attached to the condo, which could bring in a pretty penny in 2017 Park Slope . Anyone who moves in, though, won't be looking at any old relics of Brooklyn gone by. The home, as many are in the borough these days, was completely renovated by an investor about a year ago. The main townhouse is 2, 980 square feet spread over two levels. Along with three bedrooms and 2.5 bathrooms, t...