Post by universalshane on Jul 25, 2012 18:54:14 GMT -5
Once again, thank you to the person that set up this forum.
On July 25 at 2pm another tenant and I had our own meeting with Sarah from the Boydell Development office at the Russell Industrial Center. Her supervisor, Chris, was supposed to meet with us as well but said he had to leave and Sarah had all the information we would need.
Sarah then gave us Boydell Development’s “official statement” which is as follows:
What we are offering tenants in terms of vacating is help with moving. We will also give you half off your first month’s rent, if you decide to move to another Boydell managed building. Please keep in mind that if our movers help you we cannot be responsible for any damage to personal property.
You can download a copy of the Boydell Offer at the end of my post and I will include more documents as I continue.
This statement is the only form of communication that I have been able to have with the development company, aside from the brief meeting in which we discussed this “offer.” The only other communication was a Notice! that was posted on 7/18/12. This was several weeks after the management company was told, via a City of Detroit Board of Zoning Appeals meeting held on 6/12/2012, that they “deny the request to reverse the decision of the Building Safety Engineering and Environmental Department’s decision which denied legalization and conversion [of the Universal Lofts]”.
Personally I refuse to accept this as an acceptable settlement. Before the meeting we went to the Coleman A. Young Municipal Building and received the same Correction Order that the admin handed out to all of us. In addition to that we also received an Emergency Correction Order reordering the management company to get permits and certificates. A noticeable difference is that the first correction order lists that “corrections shall be made on or before 8/19/2012” and the emergency order states corrections “be made on or before 7/23/2012.”
I want to stress that it is our legal right to withhold rent monies from Boydell Development until the building has received a Certificate of Occupancy (C/O). The building has never had a C/O and to that point I have included the Request to Legalize Loft Conversion. This shows that the building was denied ever being allowed to be a residential building. It is recommended by www.michiganlegalaid.org/library_client/resource.2005-05-30.1117489736931/html_view to send a statement, via certified letter, of your intention to withhold rent until you have seen a C/O.
That statement could be as follows:
7/25/2012
Dear Boydell development,
I am writing to advise you that because you have not obtained a certificate of occupancy for the building I live in (Universal Lofts), you have left me no choice but to withhold my rent.
I have opened a separate savings account at [Bank Name], into which I will deposit my rent money for this month and all upcoming months until you receive a certificate of occupancy from the city of Detroit.
I hope that this matter can be settled easily and quickly.
Sincerely,
[Your Name]
From what I understand after having the meeting and discussing the situation with city employees there is a great possibility that the building could be shut down by the city. The date at which the building will be closed is up in the air. The city will need to give residents a reasonable amount of time (a couple weeks to 30 days) to vacate the premises.
I think it is a good idea for residents to get together and discuss our options as a group. I will be starting a new thread to discuss time and location options.
Boydell Offer
www.fileden.com/files/2012/7/25/3330067/Boydell%20offer.pdf
Notice!
www.fileden.com/files/2012/7/25/3330067/Notice.pdf
Minutes of the Board of Zoning Appeals
www.fileden.com/files/2012/7/25/3330067/Minutes%20of%20zoning%20appeals.pdf
Correction Order
www.fileden.com/files/2012/7/25/3330067/Correction%20order.pdf
Emergency Correction Order
www.fileden.com/files/2012/7/25/3330067/Emergency%20correction%20order.pdf
Request to Legalize Loft Conversion
www.fileden.com/files/2012/7/25/3330067/Zoning%20info.pdf
On July 25 at 2pm another tenant and I had our own meeting with Sarah from the Boydell Development office at the Russell Industrial Center. Her supervisor, Chris, was supposed to meet with us as well but said he had to leave and Sarah had all the information we would need.
Sarah then gave us Boydell Development’s “official statement” which is as follows:
What we are offering tenants in terms of vacating is help with moving. We will also give you half off your first month’s rent, if you decide to move to another Boydell managed building. Please keep in mind that if our movers help you we cannot be responsible for any damage to personal property.
You can download a copy of the Boydell Offer at the end of my post and I will include more documents as I continue.
This statement is the only form of communication that I have been able to have with the development company, aside from the brief meeting in which we discussed this “offer.” The only other communication was a Notice! that was posted on 7/18/12. This was several weeks after the management company was told, via a City of Detroit Board of Zoning Appeals meeting held on 6/12/2012, that they “deny the request to reverse the decision of the Building Safety Engineering and Environmental Department’s decision which denied legalization and conversion [of the Universal Lofts]”.
Personally I refuse to accept this as an acceptable settlement. Before the meeting we went to the Coleman A. Young Municipal Building and received the same Correction Order that the admin handed out to all of us. In addition to that we also received an Emergency Correction Order reordering the management company to get permits and certificates. A noticeable difference is that the first correction order lists that “corrections shall be made on or before 8/19/2012” and the emergency order states corrections “be made on or before 7/23/2012.”
I want to stress that it is our legal right to withhold rent monies from Boydell Development until the building has received a Certificate of Occupancy (C/O). The building has never had a C/O and to that point I have included the Request to Legalize Loft Conversion. This shows that the building was denied ever being allowed to be a residential building. It is recommended by www.michiganlegalaid.org/library_client/resource.2005-05-30.1117489736931/html_view to send a statement, via certified letter, of your intention to withhold rent until you have seen a C/O.
That statement could be as follows:
7/25/2012
Dear Boydell development,
I am writing to advise you that because you have not obtained a certificate of occupancy for the building I live in (Universal Lofts), you have left me no choice but to withhold my rent.
I have opened a separate savings account at [Bank Name], into which I will deposit my rent money for this month and all upcoming months until you receive a certificate of occupancy from the city of Detroit.
I hope that this matter can be settled easily and quickly.
Sincerely,
[Your Name]
From what I understand after having the meeting and discussing the situation with city employees there is a great possibility that the building could be shut down by the city. The date at which the building will be closed is up in the air. The city will need to give residents a reasonable amount of time (a couple weeks to 30 days) to vacate the premises.
I think it is a good idea for residents to get together and discuss our options as a group. I will be starting a new thread to discuss time and location options.
Boydell Offer
www.fileden.com/files/2012/7/25/3330067/Boydell%20offer.pdf
Notice!
www.fileden.com/files/2012/7/25/3330067/Notice.pdf
Minutes of the Board of Zoning Appeals
www.fileden.com/files/2012/7/25/3330067/Minutes%20of%20zoning%20appeals.pdf
Correction Order
www.fileden.com/files/2012/7/25/3330067/Correction%20order.pdf
Emergency Correction Order
www.fileden.com/files/2012/7/25/3330067/Emergency%20correction%20order.pdf
Request to Legalize Loft Conversion
www.fileden.com/files/2012/7/25/3330067/Zoning%20info.pdf