Anyone here donate Real Estate for charitable deduction and how did it work out?

[ultrarunner]

Easy solution then - an EV charging station!

Don’t know if the cables would last overnight

 

[ultrarunner]

Another possible guess is some codes guy looked at the zoning map and wrote the letter of violation without considering any grandfathered status due to long historical use? Is it just an enforcement goof on their part or more to it?

It strikes me as strange that the post office is covered in so much graffiti making it hard to tell one from the other and you got one comparatively small thing, yet the city sends you a letter about the one spot of graffiti soon afterwards? Or your stands out so well because the rest of your property is clean?

All this gives me ideas for a reboot of the Beverly Hillbillies series except the Clampett heirs leave California to return to the hills.

My spot was all the way to the rear and not visible from any road…

I thanked the inspector and said I had not noticed and quickly took care of it.

From the trolly days long gone there is a small sidewalk running down the side of the property mid block… always trash gets dumped with king size mattress there now.

This city has broad swaths covered in graffiti.

Update, Dealer spoke to inspector who has granted an extension to December 20th for reinspection.

Still says the vehicles have to go.

The Dealer is a M.O.E. which may have factored?

Minority Owned Enterprise

 

[2manyrocks]

Why is the inspector saying the vehicles have to go now if they've been there since 1942 up to now? What changed that the city is now saying they have to go?

I would want to have discussion directly with inspector/city instead of totally relying on dealer. But I would also want to have a list of all the questions I want answered before calling or going to see the inspector. One question is how the graffiti came to the inspector's attention at all if not visible from road.

 

[hayden]

This is just a guess, but sometimes the zoning of property can be changed such that an existing use might be "nonconforming", but it is allowed to continue as long as owned and used by original business. However, if the original use (business) stops using the property for a given period of time or sells the property, they lose the right for nonconforming use and you have to comply with current zoning rules.

This. Ask for a variance based on historic, non-confirming use.

Also, did the zoning change somewhere along the way, and was the lot previously conforming?

Either way, sounds like you will need to boot out the dealership until resolved.

 

[2manyrocks]

Is the city trying to oust the dealer from the area for reasons unknown to you?

If they won't acknowledge continued use consistent with past practices, how about a new stripper club?

 

[ultrarunner]

Is the city trying to oust the dealer from the area for reasons unknown to you?

If they won't acknowledge continued use consistent with past practices, how about a new stripper club?

Can’t make a silk purse from a sows ear…

Coming home tonight the several miles no shortage of graffiti and homeless camps with piles of trash…

It’s really sad state and more so when the fee still trying to make a go are badgered… my front sidewalk and curb is spotless…

 

[Sigarms]

Sorry to say, never donated land, as the only land I own we bought 20 years ago, so no past experiences.

The family members in their late eighties want me to buy them out but why?

This I have an answer for... because they don't want the headache to have to deal with it.

 

[dougtrr2]

Grand visions of retail mix use corridor with ground level retail and upper level housing…

Anything automotive is bad…

We can’t even keep burger franchises open and a stones throw distant 7/11 closed after 60 years citing holdups and KFC up the street is cashless…

Graffiti at the post office is everywhere so gave up.

I find it funny that they have "Grand visions of retail mix corridor with ground level retail and upper level housing" and don't see a need for a parking lot. Seems like there are very few places that have adequate parking.

Good luck, fighting the bureaucracy.

Doug in SW IA

 

[ultrarunner]

Parking is for cars and the plan is to reduce cars.. plenty of projects with reduced parking or no parking requirement as parking only encourages cars...

Looks like I need to take time off and make the rounds of city hall... they have just recently started having more regular office hours post pandemic

It is not the city I recognize with the camps, walls of graffiti and dumping.

 

[Runner]

Don't know if they have this in your city, but here, they have a section in the development department called the Business Assistance Center, who's job is to act as sort of a consumer advocate for people trying to get projects through the system, etc. They have people who literally walk around to other groups in the department to try to get the straight story on exactly what is needed to get projects off "dead center" and act as an interpreter.

At the very least, someone from the "BAC" might be able to steer you towards someone else in the enforcement area that does not have an axe to grind and might be able to give you the unbiased information you need without poking the hornet's nest.

Good luck.