“Today I boarded up my building again,” he said. “So it is going to start a serious conversation about that good repair ordinance. What do I do in this case? Are they going to fine me for boarding up my windows to protect against vandalism that they can’t protect me from?”
-- Eric Robert, as quoted in Lewis Street building vandalized for third time in Downtown Greensboro by Jeff Sykes of Yes Weekly.
No Eric, they have a new plan now. Many of us believe Councilwoman Nancy Hoffman, who along with Mayor Nancy Vaughan, Councilman Mike Barber, Councilman Justin Outling and others recently crafted ordinance to make it easier for the City of Greensboro to take properties with broken windows and resell them, may be targeting your building.
"Instead of the city taking property owners to court to collect fines that because of a quirk in state law are required to be turned over to the local school system, Outling said under the new system the city would have the authority to make repairs and then place liens on derelict properties."
-Jordan Green, Vacant: Behind the empty storefronts on South Elm’s 300 block, Triad City Beat
And what about what Nancy Hoffman did to Sidney Gray? Since when is it okay to break and enter into someone else's property, bust holes in their brick walls, and build your building on top of their building after the building inspectors told you it was unsafe to do so?
"Property owner Sidney Gray filed the suit in March against Hoffmann’s limited liability company, Enfield LLC and her hired contractor, Auburn Construction. The suit claims that the construction firm used a wall on Gray’s building as a support structure without permission and built a vestibule partially atop the wall. These encroachments are among a list of nine specific violations of Gray’s property rights that are at issue in the lawsuit.
Interestingly, the lawsuit refers to a claim by Hoffmann’s company that it has “adverse possession rights” to Gray’s property, despite North Carolina law requiring 20 years of occupancy for an “adverse possession” claim to be valid."
-- Jeff Sykes, Lawsuit claims Hoffmann violated neighbor's property right. Yes Weekly.
Just imagine if people were allowed to break into any property they happen to want and claim it to be their own by rights of 'adverse possession'. Nancy Hoffmann has owned the building next door to Sidney Gray for roughly a year but to claim adverse possession she would have to be able to prove she has occupied Sidney Gray's property for 20 years. Nancy Hoffmann hasn't lived in Greensboro for 20 years.
Just imagine if people were allowed to break into any property they happen to want and claim it to be their own by rights of 'adverse possession'. Nancy Hoffmann has owned the building next door to Sidney Gray for roughly a year but to claim adverse possession she would have to be able to prove she has occupied Sidney Gray's property for 20 years. Nancy Hoffmann hasn't lived in Greensboro for 20 years.
And where's the News & Record, WFMY TV and the rest on this? Silent.
And where is the Greensboro City Council's response on this? They're silent too.
Kinda makes one wonder how many people without the money and means of Mr Robert might have already been silently robbed of their properties, doesn't it?
Perhaps old widows whose minds aren't as sharp as they used to be or someone's heirs who have moved away not realizing their parents or grandparents owned property in Greensboro.
So is this vandalism the first step in an attempt to steal Eric Robert's newly refurbished building? Or just revenge for his political activities against our current Greensboro City Council.
