Contra Costa Rental Inspection BS
 

I am pissed. Contra Costa County has decided that they should employ rental inspectors and force any home owner who MAY be renting to annually prove that they are not renting OR pay significant "inspection program" fees over $250 per year. So, because this is a second home, we must prove every year that we are not renting our delta house to avoid this crap fee. This is such BS.

1)why does the county care if you are renting and how can they legally impose an inspection fee?

2) What do you have to provide?

Can you link me to the ordinance? This is BS.

http://www.co.contra-costa.ca.us/index.aspx?NID=2900

http://www.co.contra-costa.ca.us/faq.aspx?TID=21

I was wrong about the fees. Its $36 per year to have your property visually inspected from the outside and an additional $250 if an interior inspection is required.

It just seems wrong to me that they can impose this tax on landlords and abuse second home owners who can not claim their home as "owner occupied".

They chose this over a policy of inspecting people who get complaints to fill their pockets!

The statement of reasons is veiled. No doubt this helps pay for their building department in a time of little development.

Is your home a rental? Looks like you can also just claim on the back of the notice that the place is not a rental to declassify it in their records.

Looks like there are some legal challenges throughout the country on this subject: http://www.ij.org/index.php?option=c...980&Itemid=165

No, the home is not a rental. If the home is not "owner occupied" (e.g second home on the delta) they assume it is a rental and then the owner must prove that it is not a rental every year to avoid the fees. Thanks but no thanks. CCC == USSR.

Haha... I was already bitching about this in my Cap and Trade thread. I called the supervisor for our area. The way they figured out who was renting the houses out was the owners did not take the $75 a year tax exemption for their first home. Problem is, no one knew of this exemption/ rebate. I guess we had to fill out some piece of paper and send it in to get it. They figured people would have wanted their rebate so the remaining people must be renting the houses out. So to not be on the program, you are required to send in a bill like PG&E or phone bill from the residence to opt out of it. If not, then they will put a lean on your house for non payment.

How do you like those apples. Prove to us you exist or we will tax you further. The irony of the whole issue, is so many people did not realize they get a $75 a year rebate on taxes that the phone has been flooded. They had people staffed just to handle the calls. So for their $36 they are now going to fork over $75. Of course, I think it is just an excuse and will quickly hit the land lords up for petty crap when the budget is low at the end of the year.