I wanted to get all of your opinions on what you think we should do down here in Tupelo, MS. We have an excellent city council who I honestly believe is trying to do the right things in office. I do not however, agree with them on this one.
A few months back our city council adopted some new ordinances to help clean up some of the bad rental property around town. I own rental property but I don't mind them inspecting my properties. But, I sold a house to a young lady last month who was purchasing the home to live in. This house had been a rental property but she was buying it for herself. After purchasing the home we find out that it must be inspected before they will turn her power on because it used to be a rental property. "First I had heard of this". Thank goodness she did not have to do a lot of work on the property before they turned her power on, just a couple smoke detectors. But what if she had to do lots of work. Who would have been responsible. The house had already closed.
Me that's who.
Now I just feel that the government is being much to intrusive in our lives when I have to allow inspectors into MY personal home to make sure I am following their rules inside my own home.
What say you?
I agree with you that as long as you're living in the home that they have no right to come in (or at least very limited rights...a man's home is supposed to be his castle). That said, when the property changes hands I think that the government is within it's rights to insist that the house meet code. It's for the betterment of the entire community.
If you sell the property and somebody buys it without insisting that prove that it's up to code, then I would think that it would be up to that person to make sure that the property is safe to occupy.
Bob Mitchell
ValueList Real Estate Services, Inc.