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Ground Zero imam's NJ buildings 'firetraps'
NY Post ^ | September 16, 2010 | TOM TOPOUSIS

Posted on 09/16/2010 4:12:55 AM PDT by Scanian

While the imam behind the planned mosque near Ground Zero was jetting around the globe touting his project, a pair of dilapidated apartment buildings he owns in New Jersey fell into such disrepair that cops have to stand watch in the event of a fire.

The fire watch, at taxpayer expense, was revealed during a court hearing yesterday where Union City lawyers asked to have two buildings owned by Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf placed into receivership so that rents could be used to fix dozens of violations, including inoperable alarms and sprinklers.

Judge Thomas Olivieri gave Rauf's attorney, Tomas Espinosa, until Sept. 23 to produce evidence of Rauf's efforts to address all of the violations or lose control of the buildings.

Espinosa said afterward: "The legal process will show that my client is an honorable man that has taken care of his property."

(Excerpt) Read more at nypost.com ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Culture/Society; News/Current Events; US: New Jersey
KEYWORDS: dilapidated; firewatch; rauf; violations

1 posted on 09/16/2010 4:12:58 AM PDT by Scanian
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To: Scanian

If he builds a mosque, it might become a firetrap as well.


2 posted on 09/16/2010 4:14:43 AM PDT by Mr Ramsbotham (Laws against sodomy are honored in the breech.)
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To: Scanian

How in the hell can a good for nothing dead beat, that owns a couple of run down apartments on skid-row, qualify for a multimillion dollar investment. Stinks of a madoff rip off.


3 posted on 09/16/2010 4:18:04 AM PDT by org.whodat
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To: Scanian
Not to defend this guy, but I have a simple question: If these buildings have been cited for fire violations for years (one report indicated that some violations dating back to the late 1990s still haven't been addressed), then why the hell doesn't the municipal government yank their certificates of occupancy and get everyone out of them instead of posting a "fire watch" in front of them?

My understanding is that one of the two buildings is vacant, but the other has 16 families living in it.

4 posted on 09/16/2010 4:18:07 AM PDT by Alberta's Child ("Let the Eastern bastards freeze in the dark.")
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To: Mr Ramsbotham
"If he builds a mosque, it might become an fireexplosiontrap as well."
5 posted on 09/16/2010 4:35:32 AM PDT by Paladin2
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To: org.whodat

Oh i think the good judge needs to sentence this man to live in his own slum until its brought up to code, that’ll stop him jetsetting round the world.

There really is no excuse for this sort of thing.


6 posted on 09/16/2010 5:24:09 AM PDT by sunmars
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To: Scanian
While the imam behind the planned mosque near Ground Zero was jetting around the globe touting his project, a pair of dilapidated apartment buildings he owns in New Jersey fell into such disrepair that cops have to stand watch in the event of a fire.

ONE. I am NOT defending the flying Iman. BUT....

I have a long time friend who back in the mid 80's bought apartment buildings, not to 'flip', but as an investment. Well, these buildings were in less than stellar neighborhoods in Chicago. And with every new building he owned his COSTS rose on repairs by 104. It got that he was losing money.

Later on I worked with a guy who would buy houses on 'contract'. He'd do some repairs then sell for a tiny profit and repeat. Eventually this 'Cost x 104' happened to him too. His costs exceeded value and he was stuck with the contracts. These houses were in a suburb but also with less than stellar 'tenants'. Luckily he only had three houses and didn't lose 'too much' money.

People have to realize that things just don't 'break' by themselves. Not Sprinkler Pipes, Not Smoke Alarms, Not Wiring. Nor do Holes magically appear in walls and ceilings. Or storm doors and screens get ripped out by themselves. The fact of the matter is it's the PEOPLE who live in these buildings that turn them into Firetraps and 'slums'. Then they go cry that they live in a crappy place.

(I swear, these 'people' could have destroyed Hitler's Bunker in a week.)

7 posted on 09/16/2010 5:25:12 AM PDT by Condor51 (SAT CONG!)
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To: Condor51

Them’s the pitfalls off renting out property, still no excuse, if its in disrepair you have to have the money or insurance to keep the place up to code.

If you can’t afford to do that, don’t buy the building and rent it out.


8 posted on 09/16/2010 5:27:17 AM PDT by sunmars
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To: Scanian

They like to see buildings burn with Christians and Jews hanging out of the buildings, choosing to jump because a death by cracked head is less painful than a death by fire.

I will never forget 9/11 nor lessen my horror for it nor ever forgive anyone whose ideology accepts 9/11.


9 posted on 09/16/2010 5:28:34 AM PDT by Leftism is Mentally Deranged (Annoying liberals is my goal. I will not be silenced.)
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To: sunmars
In theroy I agree 100%.

But even with the apartment building I grew up in, and my mom stayed until she passed away. You can't believe the utter destruction that happened literally overnight when it became 'mexican'.

The 1st to go was ALL the window screens and screen doors. My mom asked one neighbor why. The answer: 'We don''t have those in Mexico'.

And they just weren't 'removed' but torn-ripped off. That's a hell of a lot of window and door repair costs for a 12 unit building all at once.

10 posted on 09/16/2010 6:15:35 AM PDT by Condor51 (SAT CONG!)
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