Court Opinion

ID: 9665827
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-24 00:58:00.032684+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:15:19.337009
License: Public Domain

HENLEY, Presiding Judge
(concurring).
I concur, because I believe that under the facts and circumstances of this case it would be unreasonable and confiscatory to require application of these minimum housing standards to defendant’s property.
The facts and circumstances I have reference to are that defendant’s buildings are located in an area which has become a slum, partly, at least, because the city has not been able to protect other buildings in the area from vandalism. This creeping process of a building becoming vacant and its then being rendered useless by vandals is a cancer which slowly but surely is rendering the neighborhood unlivable. It is obvious that if defendant spends money on the property to bring it in compliance with the minimum standards, he will have to increase the rental charge to tenants who, because they are unable to pay more rent, will leave and create another vacant building for destruction by the same process. To require defendant to comply with the city’s minimum housing standards in this area will be to cause him to make improvements, the apparent result of which will be to create a condition which will attract vandals (against whom the city is unable to protect his property) who will destroy not only the improvements but also (for all practical purposes) his whole property.