1225 replies to this topic

[VicHockeyFan]

You know, I can understand the opposition better coming from an old timer. But from 30 something Ben Isitt? He has to have many acquaintances and friends who aren’t in the purchase a 2,500 sq ft home in Victoria demographic.

 

Well, and perhaps to top it off, he bought his home from a civil forfeiture, sort of like a state/communist takeover of private property, right?  Nationailzed and given to him.

 

The owner, Robert Earl Marson, was forced to sell the home under the province’s Civil Forfeiture Act.

 

Marson has never had a criminal conviction, but the province was able to force the sale by successfully arguing he used the home to facilitate criminal activities, including drug dealing and prostitution.

 

“He created a lot of problems in the neighbourhood by not supervising what was going on on his property,” Isitt said.

 

Marson lived in the home with his adult son and daughter, who were drug addicts, and rented out other rooms to tenants.

 

Marson was given a deadline to sell the home by July 4 or else the province would seize it.

 

Isitt put in the only offer four days before, after the house passed a building inspection by the city.

 

Isitt bought the house for “a song” at $381,000, about $30,000 more than the value of the land.

 

Marson used the money from the sale to pay off a property lien placed by Canada Revenue Agency for unpaid taxes and also had to pay $35,000 to the Office of Civil Forfeiture.

 

 

https://gregoryhartn...forfeiture-act/

 

Now, to be fair, I see in 2015 it was only appraised at $375,800 (including just $33,800 for the building).

[Kapten Kapsell]

Chek News just published a poll asking residents if they would like to see more high-density developments in their communities- you can vote online at :  http://www.cheknews....mmunity-243153/ .

 

Perhaps they will be running a story tonight on the approval of the Cook/Oliphant project.

[Mike K.]

Great. The story will be laced with a good dose of paranoia and fear-mongering that 212-220 Cook Street is ...coming to a neighbourhood near you! Soon!

[aastra]

What does "an increased number" mean? What does "higher density developments" mean? Heck, what does "your community" mean?

 

Does "an increased number" mean more than the yearly average or more than the 5-year average or some such thing? Or does it mean more than currently exist? A choice between zero and more than zero?

 

"Higher density developments"... higher than what currently occupies a particular property? Higher than the highest density in the same neighbourhood? Higher than the average density in the same neighbourhood?

[RFS]

i live in esquimalt. i would love nothing more than to see tons of high density developments all over my community. would be nothing but good for property values and quality of life

[VicHockeyFan]

What does "an increased number" mean? What does "higher density developments" mean? Heck, what does "your community" mean?

 

Does "an increased number" mean more than the yearly average or more than the 5-year average or some such thing? Or does it mean more than currently exist? A choice between zero and more than zero?

 

"Higher density developments"... higher than what currently occupies a particular property? Higher than the highest density in the same neighbourhood? Higher than the average density in the same neighbourhood?

 

Too much thought.  Get 'em outta here!

[grantpalin]

As somebody who presently could only afford a SFH if we received a large inheritance, it really burns me when SFH owners like Isitt, Young or the many SFH owners come out to oppose reasonable housing such as this. Because, at the end of the day, all this really is is housing. At its core, this really isn’t all that much different from all those old Fairfield houses. It’s a building that will house human beings for 100+ years. 

I appreciate this comment. I'm in my early 30s and thinking it's going to take a long time for me to be able to own a residence the way prices are going. Renting for now, will maybe look at condos or townhouses in a couple years. But a standalone house, even a small one? Daunting at the least.

[jonny]

I appreciate this comment. I'm in my early 30s and thinking it's going to take a long time for me to be able to own a residence the way prices are going. Renting for now, will maybe look at condos or townhouses in a couple years. But a standalone house, even a small one? Daunting at the least.

 

What Isitt and Young essentially said was pull up the drawbridges, Victoria is full. We already own houses, so nana nana boo boo to the rest of us and good luck finding a place to live *lol*.

Edited by jonny, 09 December 2016 - 01:57 PM.

[jonny]

How do you say, with a straight face, that Victoria has a housing or affordability problem (which pretty much every CoV Councilor has stated or acknowledged at some point) while opposing a modest 5 floor apartment building?

[Nparker]

How do you say, with a straight face, that Victoria has a housing or affordability problem (which pretty much every CoV Councilor has stated or acknowledged at some point) while opposing a modest 5 floor apartment building?

Hypocrites are like vampires; they can't see their own reflections.

[jonny]

Is this not the boldest in-your-face hypocrisy imaginable on the housing file?

 

We have a city council that has advocated for national and regional housing strategies. They went so far as to fund an affordable housing project outside of the City of Victoria. In Saanich! They proposed a moratorium on house demolitions. A moratorium!

 

There’s a lack of supply. We all know that. There’s a lack of rental. We all know that. There’s a lack of affordable units. We all know that.

 

And then they go and oppose a project that checks all three boxes? Is this real life?

 

Any credibility Madoff, Isitt and Young had on this file is out the window, in my opinion.

[VicHockeyFan]

I think you have to consider that they are politicians too.  You can be sure that a LOT of Madoff's and Young's votes come from that part of town.

[Bingo]

Yeah but the height controversy is over.

 

How about those cycling lanes and parking spots and getting a few more patrons into the Beagle?

[jonny]

I think you have to consider that they are politicians too. You can be sure that a LOT of Madoff's and Young's votes come from that part of town.

So these are Councilors who pander to their base rather than use any of their own brain power or demonstrate a modicum of leadership. Gotcha.

[thundergun]

So these are Councilors who pander to their base rather than use any of their own brain power or demonstrate a modicum of leadership. Gotcha.

 

Sadly this is how politics works. Also a likely reason why many intelligent/rational people don't want to run for office.

[johnk]

Politics too often attracts less than the best and brightest. The real b&b go into business or the professions where they can make a good living and have a nice private life.
Political /public life can be awful so it attracts IMO a small number of bright, capable people. And a whole lot of egomaniacs, axe grinders, doctrinaire types and delusional mediocrities. I would put quite a few of the current office holders in the second camp.

[Nparker]

So these are Councilors who pander to their base rather than use any of their own brain power or demonstrate a modicum of leadership...

Do you know of any other type of politician?

[aastra]

 

I still don't understand what him buying a house for $10,000 in James Bay back in the day has anything to do with the present housing crisis.

 

I honestly don't understand if him buying a house had anything to do with the housing crisis back in the day, either. I admit it, I'm good and ready to toss this decades-old "housing crisis" jargon into the trash. This supposed crisis has been persisting for a hundred years and more. It just gets re-branded every five or ten years. Why not just face it? Victoria's population slowly but surely grows, new homes are slowly but surely required, old homes are slowly but surely adapted and/or turned over. Heck, neighbourhoods are slowly but surely adapted and/or turned over. That's just the way it is. The "crisis" aspects are 98% politics.

[aastra]

 

Any credibility Madoff, Isitt and Young had on this file is out the window, in my opinion.

 

So you're saying Young has lost credibility on this file?

[SamCB]

I am guessing most of these self-proclaimed socialists in council (Isitt and Helps) genuinely do not believe (or understand) how supply and demand work.

 

Much the same way as some conservatives don't subscribe to the "theory of climate change," these councillors probably don't subscribe to the "theory of supply and demand."

 

It's the only explanation I can see that accounts for their decrying lack of affordable housing on one hand, and then turning down projects that increase supply on the other hand. The mind reels.