The Rental Inspector Cometh to Ludington

[XLFD]

"[Manistee's Rental Inspection Program] has been an abject failure which has cost the city plenty until inspections were contracted to a private company, a company which could send almost anyone into an apartment to inspect. 

As a Manistee tenant, would you feel secure with a complete stranger coming into your apartment looking around, noting your security, your valuables, your daughter?  This and boarded up rental houses is the legacy of rental inspections in Manistee which is more like ground up glass in an apple rather than a treat."   --XLFD public comment, Ludington City Council Meeting October 26, 2015

The City of Ludington Daily News (COLDNews) had their own take on my five minute comment, which touched on a lot more issues than what they decided was cogent and newsworthy:

"Tom Rotta referred to Manistee’s inspection process, asking councilors if they would like someone to come in their homes to inspect everything there, including “your daughter.”"  -- COLDNews 10-27-2015 Article, Patty Klevorn

In the print newspaper, Kevin Brasiczewski took the by-line with the same synopsis of my five minute speech, as recounted in full in this Torch recap along with the video for the full meeting.  Frankly, I'm used to the mangling of the sound bite they ascribe to me at these meetings, and I'm sure they reported it like this because they feel it reduces my argument to the point of ridicule, just like they did the same for most of the other people who spoke against the ordinance in their article. 

This article will show, by pointing to actual incidents researched on the web, that my concerns are very real and valid.  Did your mama or papa ever tell you not to talk to strangers and definitely not let them into the house?  Now, our city wishes to wield their power into making you do just that, under threat of a heavy fine and imprisonment if you don't. 

There is nothing to suggest that the person who is slated to inspect the inside of our homes, Tom Fulker, is anything but an honorable official, but Fulker won't necessarily be the only one doing these inspections.  See Sec. 6-215(a):  "The Building Inspector or his or her agent shall (make inspections)... 

As noted, this position can be privatized as it has in Manistee and almost anybody can therefore come into your home.  There is no assurance in the ordinance or by our officials that their inspectors are trained in the field of inspection, or even if convicted felons or registered sex offenders are barred from the task of coming into your home and looking around at your supposedly private space.

But even trained building inspectors aren't beyond abusing their authority and your trust in them.  I listed three things let's look at those.  We'll leave a myriad of mundane corruption and bribery cases on the cutting room floor.

Your Security

 

Stalking?  More like being dedicated to making sure her home was up to code after hours:

CLEVELAND, Ohio — A $50,000 bond has been set for a city residential building inspector, who is facing a menacing by stalking charge.

Jeffrey Barkas appeared in municipal court Friday to face the felony charge.

Barkas was arrested Tuesday night after a woman he dated told officers he won’t leave her alone and has threatened her.

Prosecutors asked for a high bond.

According to the report, the “victim states she broke up with above offender around January 15th of 2015 and has been receiving threats and letters from him ever since.”

The I-Team searched court records and found Barkas was convicted in 1994 of two felonies, aggravated assault, and attempted carrying a concealed weapon charge.

http://fox8.com/2015/01/30/50k-bond-set-for-city-building-inspector...

He only wanted to check out how the plumbing worked:

LAWRENCE — A longtime city building inspector is scheduled to be arraigned Friday on a charge of indecent assault and battery for allegedly sexually assaulting a woman during an inspection in November.

Greg Arvanitis, an inspector since 2000, also allegedly told the woman he would deny the permit she and her husband were seeking for their Essex Street bar unless she were alone when he returned for a follow-up inspection, according to a statement she gave police... 

In a statement Arvanitis gave to police on Nov. 26, he denied the allegations and said the woman and her husband accused him of the assault because he regularly found building code violations at their bar and once found them running an illegal business on the second floor.

Pat Ruiz, the city's director of Inspectional Services, told police that the bar “is not a business they have any problems with,” according to a police incident report...

http://www.eagletribune.com/news/city-inspector-faces-arraignment-o...

Your Valuables

 

Affair with dividends ends up in court for this inspector:

CATOOSA COUNTY, GA (WRCB) - 48-year-old Mark Timothy Lindsay, was tried before a judge in  Superior Court of Catoosa County for multiple offenses of Theft by Receiving Stolen Property.

The two day bench trial was concluded Wednesday, January 14 with convictions for five counts of felony Theft by Receiving Stolen Property and two misdemeanor counts of Theft by Receiving Stolen Property. 

The Lookout Mountain District Attorney tells Channel 3 in September of 2005, while Lindsay  was employed as the chief building inspector for the City of Fort Oglethorpe, he began an extra-marital affair with Deborah Holt.  

Holt was the manager of Markey Place Leasing, LLC doing business as Gateway Mall in Catoosa County.  Holt embezzled large sums of money from her employer and Lindsay received stolen items from Holt over a period of time with an estimated value of between $50,000 and $75,000...  
http://www.wsmv.com/story/27859966/former-ft-oglethorpe-chief-build...

Mentally incompetent?  She was just grateful for the passed inspection: 

BOSTON -- The state's highest court is scheduled to hear the appeal today of retired Lowell Building Inspector David St. Hilaire, who is appealing his 2012 conviction for stealing the property of an 86-year-old Lowell woman who prosecutors say was mentally incompetent when she sold her property to him on her deathbed... 
http://www.lowellsun.com/todaysheadlines/ci_26465756/ex-lowell-buil...

To be fair, she was keeping money from construction and building permits before she became a full-fledged inspector: 

Farmington Building Inspector accused of stealing thousands from city

Authorities said an audit revealed $5700 was stolen by newly appointed building inspector Jamie Ellis. Officials said Ellis committed the theft  while working as a clerk in the city’s public works department. She allegedly would take payment for construction and building permits, write the receipts but never deposit the money.

Investigators said Ellis admitted to taking a small amount of money, but not all $5700. Police believe the stealing may have gone on for several years. Ellis is charged with felony stealing.

Farmington Mayor Stuart Landrum said the city is letting the legal process play out and is being diligent in protecting taxpayer money.

http://www.wxtx.com/story/29612190/farmington-building-inspector-ac...

Your Daughters (or Sons!) 

 

Someone took a wrong turn at Albuquerque:

http://www.kob.com/article/stories/s3688502.shtml#.VjEVDzZdHIU

This one hits a little too close to home:

ALLEGAN COUNTY, Mich. (NEWSCHANNEL 3) – A former building inspector was sentenced in Allegan County on Monday for a string of sex crimes involving a vulnerable adult.

67-year-old Paul Shamblin was sentenced late Monday afternoon to a minimum of six years in prison.

Shamblin was convicted earlier in 2014 of having a sexual relationship with an 18-year-old developmentally disabled woman who was unable to provide consent.

Shamblin spoke in court Monday, asking the judge to consider a lesser sentence because of his poor health and service as a veteran. Prosecutors asked for just the opposite, encouraging a stronger sentence because of the severity of the crimes.

Shamblin moved the 18-year-old victim into his house while his wife was hospitalized for several months.

During the trial the victim testified that Shamblin acted as a father figure toward her, telling her that it was his role to teach her about sex and how to be a wife because that’s what dads do.

During Monday’s sentencing the judge called Shamblin ‘manipulative’ and ‘selfish.’

Just months ago, a jury found Shamblin guilty of all seven crimes he was charged with. Experts testified during the trial that while the victim was legally 18, she functioned at the level of a six-year-old girl.

“A lack of judgment on my part has caused this disaster,” said Shamblin. “I have paid a dear price for that.”

“You’ve apparently forgotten your commitment to protect the public,” said Judge Cronin, “and you’ve used this girl in a perfectly selfish way that destroys any favorable consideration on account of your service as a veteran.”

Shamblin will serve anywhere from six to 15 years in prison. If he is eligible for parole he is to have no contact with the victim or her family.

http://www.wwmt.com/news/features/top-stories/stories/Former-buildi...

Indicted by a grand jury of multiple child-rapes?  Go back inspecting houses Inspector Lunceford:

"A Richmond city building inspector and former youth minister accused of sexually assaulting two members of his former youth group at a Lawrenceburg church in 1992 has returned to work, Richmond City Manager David Evans said Tuesday.Gordon H. Lunceford, 47, had been on personal leave from his job as a building inspector with the city’s codes enforcement division since his indictment by an Anderson County grand jury last month on six counts of third-degree rape, five counts of third-degree sodomy, one count of first-degree sexual abuse and one count of second-degree sexual abuse.After news of Lunceford’s indictment broke, Evans said that the city would “take a look at” his employment status..." 

http://www.richmondregister.com/archives/rape-case-bond-reduced-for...

Home inspector?   I thought it was Ho' Inspector!:

The Arlington County Police Department Special Victims Unit is seeking additional victims of a county home inspector who has been accused of inappropriately touching a woman during an inspection of her home.

Olaseni Cole [pictured], 54, was charged with sexual battery after allegedly groping a woman on the morning of Tuesday, April 14, according to Arlington County police.

https://www.arlnow.com/2015/04/22/police-seek-victims-of-home-inspe...

Need to relax after a day of inspecting rentals?  Drive 150 miles for some man-boy love:

Your Security, Your Valuables, and Your Daughter

 

This Los Angeles Building Inspector team has its eyes on everything:

"Since those two inspectors were filmed taking bribes and arrested last month, the Department of Building and Safety has received three subpoenas from a federal grand jury. One of the inspectors, Raoul Germain, 60, of Altadena, pleaded guilty on Thursday to accepting $6,000 in bribes between November and January. The City Attorney's office says its own probe of corruption allegations has gone citywide, and revealed that USC's Theta Xi has sued the city over bribe demands by an inspector from the Department of Building and Safety. LAT

This is the city department where Andrew Adelman resigned as general manager in 2009 after being accused of raping a woman he met in a Downtown bar..."

http://www.laobserved.com/archive/2011/05/building_inspector_corrup...

[Willy]

Wow. A finely crafted article. What a mind opening post. As you stated, people must be careful who they let into their homes and they have the right to refuse entry to anyone they do not want. The COL of Ludington has effectively taken away that right and have also taken away the right for people to be secure in their homes all for the purpose of providing  their cronies with benefits from Government grants and other money hand outs. What a sham the COL has become. People come here to enjoy the beautiful amenities the area has to offer and most do not realize that below the surface is a cesspool. Patti Klevorn, again, reveals what a twit she is.

[AQUAMAN]

Well said Willy. The City Attorney though did point out that if the inspector is not let in, then a charge for refusal or being absent at his appointment will result in a fine of what, $40 was it. Also that it's a civil infraction ticket, misdemeanor, resulting in the tennant/landlord showing up in court for a hearing, presumably with their attorney, more costs and embarrassment. And for what? No real tennant complaints to speak of? Other tennants signing a 100 member petition against this? Numerous landlords coming forward asking for No Votes, or to remand this back to committee. Then resoundingly Denied?  Because two city councilors want this so bad, so fast, and so full of worms, that they just don't care, arrogance and iron-fist actions must prevail!  Thank you CC Winszecki and Krauch for such insight into the people's wants and needs. Nowthen, what can we do as taxpayers to make you feel even more invincible? 

[Willy]

Thanks Aquaman. Besides the Ludington Mass Transit service provided by the citizens there should also be a Go Back Transit service that provides a comfortable ride for these invasive species of politicians and progressives, who have decided to plant their left leaning a_ses and ideas smack dab in the middle of Ludington. This service will provide free transportation so they can "go back" to where they came from, along with any tar and feathers they may acquire on their way out of town. It's not that we don't like them it's just that we don't like them. If they want some place to flex their invasive ideas I suggest an express route to Detroit where their liberal/progressive ideas and policies can provide the fuel to finish off what other liberals started, the destruction of what was once a great City.

[AQUAMAN]

The fact that so many new politicians and members of important committees has come to Ludington in recent years is fairly obvious to me anyhow. They can't make it where they hail from, their home towns, so, they are flustered and leave to gain ground in a small berg where no one knows them. They have a fixed set of agendas, starting with changing everything sacred and long respected around Ludington to suit their big city ways. Then, when that starts taking ground, they also start fraudulent acts in grant letting, no-bid contracts for favored contractors, and bilking the locals for unwanted projects and over-taxation. Go after our city charter, change it to what you think is right. Make one new ordinance after the other, whether silly or necessary, must change that too. Meanwhile, that locals lose, not just in more taxes, buy in pride, stability, and freedoms that we can't get back once these maladjusted individuals get their way, without locals making their voice known. 

[XLFD]

Thanks to the Wastewater Plant problems, we have been having less problems with invasive species due to them not being able to stand all the ammonia and mercury in the water of Ludington.  Yet, the Asian Carp that already moved here to serve as city appointees and consultants are entrenched, draining the rights and property of the citizens like the leeches they are. 

If we couldn't get LMTA to pick these guys up and take them out, our waste hauling contractors could do the job.  But they won't leave until they start getting more uncomfortable.

[Willy]

Funny X. Although a better description would be Asian Crap.

[XLFD]

Indeed, but I didn't want to offend my friends down at Human Gardens and the China Buffet by comparing their otherwise healthy bowel movements with city hallers.