Monday, June 3, 2013

Lake Worth Code Violations and Vacation Rentals

Comment Up
 211 N M STREET

I attended the Magistrate hearing on Lake Worth coded properties last Thursday. There were over 40 properties that were discussed which were a drop in the bucket. Diane James-Bigot of Boynton Beach, Florida is the new magistrate. A big majority of them were rental properties with no rental license or current inspection.

The property above belongs to the daughter of Carol Lewis, Eden house owner. Mrs. Lewis, if you recall, wants the city to change its rental policy (we don't have a separate or special vacation rental policy) to accommodate her and others who are commercializing our neighborhoods by buying houses and renting them out by the night or the week in our residential neighborhoods. They all have been violating our code for some time but who the heck cares, right?

Her daughter also violated our Code in not getting a permit to do work on the above property. She got fined $350.75 with a review in 90 days. Mrs. Lewis, speaking for her daughter who was not present, said that if she had known she would have paid attention to our laws and got the proper permitting. Right. She didn't pay attention to our rental policy either...she did not abide by our laws in that respect. Why are we not fining vacation rental owners? We continue to coddle rule breakers.

Now the city is looking to compromise our 60 day policy for these law breakers. People wanting their own way know that the city shakes in its boots at the very thought of a lawsuit. Pam Triolo and Andy Amoroso say changing our policy to a two week minimum is okay--a 75% reduction in our present policy. That is "fair" and a compromise in their opinion?

Read more... how these commercial business owners as well as our commissioners do not respect our ordinances or for that matter, all the rest of us with a different opinion as to how our city should look and operate.

14 comments:

Anonymous said...

we have 35,000 residents and 50 vacation home owners. If we took a survey, what sort of compromise do you think the outcome would be?

Anonymous said...

Our country does the same with illegal immigrants entering this country and working illegally too, they overlook all and are very apathetic, why have laws?


"Why are we not fining vacation rental owners? We continue to coddle rule breakers."

$$$$$$$$ said...

Lewis like other rich and well to do people in this city just think it is their right to do what they want, they can because of their mentality and stature just overlook codes, permits, laws, it is perfectly fine to then just pay a little fine or hope because they are rich or famous they will overlook their irresponsibility, blight, boarded up buildings, lack of permits, or following the City of Lake Worth laws and rules. They do it because they can often getting away with it. We have a lot of people in this city doing this, thinking it is OK for the rest of us to have to live next to their boarded up blight or short term rental nuisances. These entitled people are the ones who bring down the quality of life down for all the rest of us. Irresponsibility and entitlement, they just don't care about all of us! I am not sure how they think they will ever really earn true respect here, but don't think they even really care. $$$$$$$

Anonymous said...

These law breakers SUCK. Our commissioners SUCK. Our wimpy city staff SUCKS. Can I put up a billboard on I-95 saying that? The city, in all its wimpydom, will allow that too.

Anonymous said...

Maybe, might just be easier and cheaper to do it here. What bugs me is that even our comm. like Andy A abuses his power and position as comm and businessman. He parks his car by his shop downtown and it can be parked there all day long, breaking the 4 hour (used to be 2 hour)parking rule, but because he is a comm, and even before so, because his is in tight with the police and all, has power to not have the "rules and laws" enforced and gets away with it, without being ticketed. So many people in this city abuse their power or just think they are entitled, many of us know who they are, they know who they are, it just is not right, their abuse and taking advantage of their power because they can. It hurts all of us and our city. so much for so called self-respecting(ed) people. So many take advantage of it because they can, it doesn't make it right though. You are right it all sucks!


"anonymous said...
These law breakers SUCK. Our commissioners SUCK. Our wimpy city staff SUCKS. Can I put up a billboard on I-95 saying that? The city, in all its wimpydom, will allow that too.

June 3, 2013 at 9:42 AM"

Anonymous said...

I do not want this type of business in our city unless it is 60 dAys.

Anonymous said...

Personally, I wish they would do away with all rental homes for any length of time in our city, we have too many rentals, too many people who rent homes here, I have them all around here where I live, they do not care, they do not keep up their properties, they are loud disrespectful and inconsiderate. WE need more full time single family home-ownership in this city, no more rentals at all. FOR THE MOST PART, RENTERS ARE Not GOOD NEIGHBORS, at any length of rental, we have 6 month or yearly ones and they do not care, they keep their places blighted and uncared for, stop all renting of single family homes altogether.

Lynn Anderson said...

I hear your pain but it is also the landlord's fault. There are many renters who take care of a property as if it were theirs. Where I live, we have a minimum of 3 months and a maximum of 6 months, one time a year on rentals. It works out great. We get wonderful seasonal people on those units that are rented out...maybe 3 a year.

Anonymous said...

If you think vacation rentals in Single family neighborhoods wait till the illustrious P&Z Department delivers to our Commission new zoning that will allow Commercial retirement/Assisted living facilities right next door.

Code can not handle the case load they have and now they want to add more commercial elements in all our single family neighborhood.

Start telling your commission now that single family is single family and nothing more!!!

Anonymous said...

Where does Commissioner Amoroso live? It appears he hasn't lived at 820 N M St for over a year.

Anonymous said...

City should not compromise, I don't want a weekly rental next door. Why does the City roll over every time someone challenges them, this is just opening up pandora's box.

Anonymous said...

Lynn, Seems above poster is right. Andy is no longer at 820 N. M St. Seems he was renting. So, where is he? Shades of investigation into Suzanne Muvehill's living situation. Hmmmm.

Anonymous said...

START ON SOUTH PALM WAY YOU WILL FIND ALOT OF ILLEGAL RENTAL---THIS CITY IS A DRUG DEALERS DREAM AND A ILLEGAL RENTAL SCAM--BUT THIS HAS BEEN GOING ON A LONG TIME ---SURPRISE--NOT---JEFF CLEMENS WHEN MAYOR WAS SUPPOSE TO TAKE CARE OF THIS BUT NEVER DID--MAYBE HE FORGOT WITH ALL THE POT HE SMOKES

Anonymous said...

Anon said "These law breakers SUCK. Our commissioners SUCK. Our wimpy city staff SUCKS. Can I put up a billboard on I-95 saying that? The city, in all its wimpydom, will allow that too".

Anon, all you have to do is put your message on a banner and hang it out the windows of the Gulfstrem!!! Wimpyville won't make you take it down for WEEKS !!!!!! LOL