Open Thread
By Greg L | 19 May 2008 | Uncategorized | 93 Comments
It’s time again for another open thread. Enjoy!
The opinions expressed here are solely the views of the author, and not representative of the position of any organization, political party, doughnut shop, knitting guild, or waste recycling facility, but may be correctly attributed to the Vast Right-Wing Conspiracy. If anything in the above article has offended you, please click here to receive an immediate apology.
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Make sure you contact your senators about the Feinstein/Craig amnesty bill that they tried to sneak in without anybody knowing. My fax machine has been running all day. Vote no for amnesty!!
Make sure you contact your senators about the Feinstein/Craig amnesty bill that they tried to sneak in without anybody knowing. My fax machine has been running all day. Vote no for amnesty!!
Shocking but a local newspaper that has been carrying water for illegal immigration actually published a fair and reasonable story. Check it out - this is good stuff:
http://connectionnewspapers.com/article.asp?article=314948&paper=82&cat=104
Has everyone seen the Post and the Pot. News about the Tues. meeting and the reports to be given by Finance Dept. and Casiato? They are asking for money,money,money to cut Lawns????I mean big bucks. We already lost money from Immigration enforcement.
Where do we go from here.
I wrote and asked them to talk to the Pres. of Realtors and get cooperation from the Listing agents or the Banks. When I was in Real Estate the Banks would OK the agent to get grass cut and bill would go to the Bank.
Course those were the days when Banks were concerned about the community.
The meeting should be interesting tomarrow.
AsIseeit said on 19 May 2008 at 9:36 pm:
The county will get the money back for the grass cutting. It will take some time. In the cases where the county cuts the grass a Weed Lien is attached to the property on their county real estate tax bill. The sooner the houses get sold at those properties the sooner will get their money back.
The days of the Banks being concerned are long gone. Obviously they didn’t care with some of the lending practices in recent years.
Who will ultimately pay those mowing fees? The way I see it, in the end, it will be the buyer who absorbs the cost.
AsIseeit, I don’t care what it costs. If the county doesn’t tend to some of the properties in Sudley/Westgate there will be a real jungle. Some of the lawns are already fields. Lord only knows what will live in there. Rats, bees and hornets, snakes….the list goes on. Nothing makes a neighborhood look trashier than unmowed lawns.
While they are at it, the county or VDOT need to get out in the middle of Sudley Manor Drive and take care of that median strip….speaking of jungles.
Lafayette, who is the owner of the median strip problem? VDOT or county?
Dolph,
The banks will certainly pass the costs on to the buyer in numerous other ways. They can increase their fees to absorb the cost. The bottom line is the county WILL get the money back.
Sudley Manor..I was thinking about that median today. I don’t recall seeing the median look quite the way it does this year. I’m not sure who’s responsibility is. What do you think has happened over there this year?
I will do some”investigating”.
As I see it:
You must have gotten out of real estate some time ago. The banks these days do as little a possible. When the market was hot people didn’t even need to fix up the house to sell it so why would the banks do anything then or now that they are loosing money left and right.
You think that great realtor board is going to do the right thing now or would some how swoop in here and save the County? They openly list houses that have extra kitchens and say they are money making opportunities; do you really think they can control the banks and the mowings? They are as overwhelmed as everybody else.
I think this blog has addressed this multiple times. Simply put it needs to get done and done right the first time around. The county will eventually get the money back albeit slowly as previously explained in last weeks BOCS meeting. What do you propose to do? How long are you willing to live next door to it? Do you have one right next to you? I do and I don’t like it one bit! I want my community cleaned up and that takes time, people and money to do it unless we can do it for free ourselves
“What do you think has happened over there this year?”
My guess is that the median is supposed to be mowed by VDOT and their not mowing it is their little way of showing that they need more tax $$$.
I’m sure I’m not the only one who noticed that potholes stopped getting filled in a reasonable amount of time shortly after the referendum on raising sales taxes for transportation got voted down…
“When the tax revenues are low, let the potholes grow…”
MP Resident said on 20 May 2008 at 12:07 am:
In the past on Sudley Manor the residents have mowed the median. I don’t know if there was some sort of rotation of good samaritans, or what. Perhaps, Dolph can verify this has not been a problem in the past as I recall. I don’t expect VDOT will do it.
Heck, we just a VDOT curb/sidewalk project done in WG. Every block around me was all “jazzed up”. I’m still not sure what the big improvement was. For some reason my block was NEVER even looked at. I saw all kinds of marks(spray paint) on other blocks where the work was to be done, and has now been completed. We always seem to be the last block to get plowed/sanded in the winter. It looks like they just blew us completely for this spring project.
corr: Heck, we just *HAD* a VDOT curb/sidewalk project done in WG.
Mr. Owl, how many illegals aliens can fit inside a van?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cs_AdRSNluw
Lafayette,
It seems the median got a little ratty looking last year also. I suppose we could call VDOT and ask. I think it gets done but not as often as it should. This really isn’t the year for them to start slacking off. What happened to all that snow removal money that wasn’t used. Last winter was mild.
Of course, after the rains, it only takes a week for things to start looking ratty. I know Dolph Acres was looking ratty before the ‘mower’ dropped by yesterday and it had only been about a week since the last mowing. Now if only the ‘planter’ could stop on over.
*illegal
I like the long grass. It reminds me that the illegals are gone. It provides homes for bunnies and snakes. The snakes keep the fat ladies away. I say, let it grow.
Lafayette,
The some of residents used to mow in front of their own houses. I don’t see that being done at all now. Maybe the gasoline costs too much. Hell if I know. I do not see where any of it has been mowed. The ‘mower’ and the next door neighbor used to do it here but I haven’t seen it being done this year and I am not asking.
Article about how tougher immigration policies in the U.S. are effecting the number of illegal aliens coming across the border. From this week’s Newsweek:
http://www.newsweek.com/id/137514
Dolph,
Maybe, the motivated NW will get it done.
No medians to be mowed, and we have street lights in WG!!
I noticed a few jungles got taken care of over the weekend. This is a good thing. I’m hoping the once the initial cut is done at these vacant houses they will be on some mowing company’s regular line up weekly.
I got on the telephone and started calling the realtors who have signs up and let them know I live here, it’s over 2 feet high and they need to get on it. So far I have seen a few respond. Perhaps we should get everyone calling the property holders and hammer on them. Anyone have access to agent information for the houses without a for sale sign?
You can look up information on http://www.franklymls.com — if the house is listed on the MLS it will be in there.
Where’s Anon RE?
There was a real estate agent on another thread that really explained what they are faced with regarding the grass. It seems as though banks are contracting directly with clean up/mowing companies for thes properties.
Citizen12,
We still need to call/email Zoning. The county needs to have any accurate count of how many concerned citizens there are. If you are not the first person to call in an address, your name gets added as a complaintant. I want also note this not mean a trip to the property for each new call to a property. I think calling the real estate agents help too. We
MP Resident said on 20 May 2008 at 1:31 am
Lafayette said on 20 May 2008 at 1:48 am:
Thanks for the info. The more options the better.
Citizen 12,
You are most welcome. I would like to suggest checking out this thread..http://www.bvbl.net/index.php/2008/05/14/losing-money-in-a-profitable-business/#comments.
There was an Anonymous(later Anon RE) that stated she was a real estate agent and she really shed some light on the position of the agents. Then she told of the hoops she had to jump through in the Park regarding utilities. We had a several informative and respectful exchanges. I know I learned from her, and think we all could. I hope she continues to comment.
I hope the link shows up this time. Sorry.
http://www.bvbl.net/index.php/2008/05/14/losing-money-in-a-profitable-business/
PWC high schools are among the top 5% in the nation:
Prince William High Schools in Top 5 Percent in Nation
All eight eligible Prince William County high schools are among the top 5 percent in the nation, according to the annual “Newsweek” and “Washington Post” Challenge Index published on May 18. Hylton High School in Woodbridge tops the Prince William list at number 281 in the country. Other schools included are Potomac (562), Osbourn Park (617), Brentsville District (684), Stonewall Jackson (740), Gar-Field (778), Woodbridge (825), and Forest Park (1,019). Battlefield and Freedom High Schools, which will have their first full graduating class this June, will be eligible next year.
“Newsweek” ranks the top 5 percent, or 1,300, U.S. public high schools out of a total of approximately 27,000 using the Challenge Index designed by “Washington Post” reporter Jay Mathews. The Challenge Index represents the number of Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate, and Cambridge tests taken by all students at a school in 2007 divided by the number of graduating seniors.
“We are proud of our students, employees, and our schools. This is an indication that our students and teachers are rising to the challenge of rigorous courses, and are being well-prepared for college.” said Steven L. Walts, superintendent.
For the complete Newsweek list, see www.newsweek.com/id/3938.
We should all be very proud!
Loudoun,
Thanks for that positive post.
The top 5% in nation certainly is something we should be proud of. I noticed Kanub High Shcool in Utah was NOT even on the list. This does NOT surprise after the things I’ve heard about the schools there.
I hope for those that might be considering moving to PWC she where are schools rank in the nation. Let’s not forget it wasn’t that long ago that our very own Stonewall Jackson Senior High School was ranked #1 in the nation.
corr: I hope for those that might be considering moving to PWC *SEE* where are schools rank in the nation.
Lafayette - As of 2007, Kanab’s population was 3754 people. With that population, I’m not surprised it isn’t on the list! It is in the middle of nowhere in the desert!
How many times do you hear baby boomers speak of the old days. Remember the days in the 50’s going to the curbside diners, low gas prices, low soda prices and neighborhoods where everyone knew everyone. What has changed from those days? Well I believe that one factor that has changed our country is the mass influx of Muslims and Hispanics (both legal and illegal) that have moved here and are in the process of changing our country. If you watch the video from the “Brit”, you can note that the same thing has happened in England. I truly try to remain unbias towards other races, but things have changed so much and the new comers into this country do not have the same history of loving America as the rest of us do and therefore do not respect our laws as many of the rest of us do.
I would like to see limits put on how many people can come into the U.S. by race, or religion, so that we do not have certain groups trying to overtake the United States, which believe it or not we are on track to have happen. I like the idea of limiting the amount from ALL countries (and religions) and put an end to ALL illegal immigration, deporting all who comitt any type of crime. Ahh…..to have the old days back!!!
DeMan, have you signed up with NumbersUSA? FAIR? Grassfire?
numbersusa.com
fairus.org
grassfire.org
Please get on the e-mail list for these groups and they will update you on actions you can take to stop this from happening to our country.
hey you all
for all those lawns that need cut, I have a solution! those illegals that they have on ICE detainers have them cut the lawns or use other prisoners ala’ chain gang type work. Arizona does it right, we should import sheriff joe for awhile and let him work his magic
josh aka “sheriff Joe is my idol”
Dolph said on 19 May 2008 at 11:14 pm:
While they are at it, the county or VDOT need to get out in the middle of Sudley Manor Drive and take care of that median strip….speaking of jungles.
At one time, the property owners on Sudley Manor drive used to cut the median across from their property. I guess like everything else, it’s not hight on their priority list anymore. How about getting some of the prisoners from the jail out in the county, arm them with lawnmowers and let them earn their keep. Nothing wrong with a good day’s work and it will keep the neihborhoods up.
Vigilant 1,
The county keeps the prisoners fairly busy with The PW Pkwy, The courthouse, and various other public places. I don’t think it’s wise to have them in a residential area. The thought of them mowing some of the properties crossed my mind too. Heaven forbid if one of them did get away. There are plenty of empty/unsecured homes for them to get in. There is always Adopt-A-Spot. There’s a portion of SM that has been taken care of for years by the same family.
I remain hopeful a good samaritan might get the job done.
Anybody have any info on the PWCBOS meeting today? I caught a blurb on the news last night that they’re changing some wording in the resolution again.
Check out how another country handles its illegal immigration problem:
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/20/world/africa/20safrica.html?_r=1&ref=todayspaper&oref=slogin
FYI
Immigration commission to meet in Fairfax
By Keith Walker
The Potomac News & Manassas Journal Messenger (VA), May 8, 2008
http://www.insidenova.com/isn/news/local/article/immigration_commission_to_meet_in_fairfax/15111/
The Virginia Commission on Immigration needs to figure out the effects immigration has on the commonwealth.
To do that, the commission will hold five community meetings across the state in coming months to get the public’s input on the issue, said Matt Gross of the Virginia Department of Social Services.
The first of the meetings will be May 22 at the Johnson Center Cinema at George Mason University in Fairfax County, Gross said.
People who wish to offer three-minute comments can sign up at 1 p.m. for the 2 to 5 p.m. and 6 to 9 p.m. sessions.
Gross said the commission expects good attendance at the meetings. ‘We are trying to stress that we ask people to keep their comments to three minutes,’ Gross said.
The commission is tasked with studying, reporting and making recommendations on the costs and benefits immigration issues have on local education, health care, law enforcement, services and economies across the state.
‘They really just want to hear what the public has to say and get a flavor for how the regions might vary,’ Gross said of the commissioners.
Gross said the commission will be examining all facets of immigration, unlike the Illegal Immigration Task Force which recently looked at illegal immigration and crime.
‘This commission will be looking at everything else,’ Gross said.
‘Really a large part of the immigrant population is here legally,’ he said. ‘They still create new challenges that the commonwealth has to face regardless of their legal status. We would like to focus on immigration as a whole.’
De Man - Are you blaming Muslims and Hispanics for the rise in price of gasoline and soda??? And for the disapperance of roadside diners???
As for neighbors not knowing each other. The difference:
In the fifties mothers stayed home, babysitting co-ops were formed because most of us couldn’t afford babysitters, potluck suppers were our entertainment for the same reason, the kids played in the street; every kid was everybody’s kid, and parents were allowed to (expected to)reprimand other people’s kids when they acted up. ONE car was the norm.
Dad washed the car on Saturdays while listening to the baseball game on the radio. There weren’t any hours-long golf games, football games, baseball games, basketball games etc. etc. on the TV. Kids had free time and weren’t scheduled for activites that involved driving them from here to there all day.
Now, how often do you see any of your neighbors outside except for mowing the lawn or getting into or out of the car? When was the last time you saw kids jump rope, play hopscotch or catch on your street? Both parents work all day, kids are fully scheduled, computer games beckon and when they ARE outside, their ears are plugged up with electronic gadgets. All this would have happened WITHOUT Muslims and Hispanics, De Man!
Mando - here is the info you requested from nbc4.com
PRINCE WILLIAM COUNTY, Va. — Prince William County’s board chairman wants to make it easier for officers to check people’s immigration status, Julie Carey reported First on 4.
Officers would need only reasonable suspicion to check a person’s citizenship under Corey Stewart’s proposal, which will be presented to the board Tuesday.
Stewart, who is pushing the looser standard, said more checks would result from the change.
“It actually lowers the standard by which an officer may check immigration status,” Stewart said. “It’s going to make it easier for an officer now to check immigration status than before.” Related: Watch The Report
http://video.nbc4.com/player/?id=253066
Krutis - my children and other children on my street play outside (without electronic gadgets) and my neighbors are frequently outside visiting with one another, walking the dog(s), etc.
Do you live in a community full of older residents?
Krusty:
Now that the Illegal Invaders are either gone or are too pollo-pooped to show their behinds, the bucolic scenes you describe above occur are once again the norm. Lat year at this time the place was full of drunks pissing on the sidewalks.
We done good, guys. But it ain’t over yet.
Herndon Bob - thanks for the info on the Immigration Commission meeting.
Your yard is beautiful. I was in Herndon with GT and my brother for lunch last week. We visited the 7-11 and the Sunoco and walked by the “market.” I commented on the beautiful yard to GT and he said it was yours. I love the azaleas!
COMMON LAW MARRIAGE:
If two people live together for an unspecified number of months, Virginia courts have been quick to declare that union a, “common law marriage” and all of the rights and especially the bad parts, like child support/alimony, apply.
So, why is it so hard for the Commonwealth to not recognize a few homos who want to be married? Most have lived together for much longer than the typical “common law” declared unions.
Oh, there’s that part about one woman and one man, but even that is getting more blurry. How are we supposed to treat transsexuals who want to marry? Are we going to recognize their genotype, or their revised phenotype?
Will a broader definition of marriage lead to a requirement that government also condone bestiality or even pet-human marriage? I have a neighbor who I am quite certain has already secretly wedded her terrier. Will women having extra-equestrian affairs be next?
Is the recognition of homo-marriage a KY lubricated slope, or is it just much ado about nothing; none of the government’s damned business?
Loudoun @ 9:42 - No, I live in a small subdivision populated by people from 6 months to over 90. The pre-schoolers across the street are outside but they are the only young’uns outside. Two early teens next to them have band, basketball, soccer, crosscountry running, maybe other things. The boy cuts my lawn for $25 (20 before the gas price went up). There are other kids around but hardly ever seen. Parents work, so weekends are filled with tasks and errands not taken care of during the week.
There’s no standard, Loudoun, but on the whole, electronics have changed children’s lives a lot. And, neighbors don’t get acquainted with neighbors like they “used to”. Of course, if you didn’t live then, you (not personal) wouldn’t know what it was like.
Several comments on this thread refer to snakes existing in the tall grass
of unkempt lawns, and this brings to mind an article in the Wash Post on
Sunday regarding an Arlington resident who collects snakes, and in fact,
his home is known as “The snake house”. He has been ordered to rid his
home of the snakes because of an influx of snakes spotted in unlikely
areas in and around his home. Mr Nguyen (snake collector) remarked that
he is in the process of removing the snakes, but refused to disclose the
location to where the snakes are being relocated.
I can only hope and pray that he is not transporting his beloved poisonous
pets to PWC! Living next door to a flop house has been bad enough on my
nerves, but to live next door to a “Snake house” would be unimaginable!
Any thoughts from the readers of BVBL on this subject?
Time to email the PWCBOS in support of this change.
Marceline Harris said on 20 May 2008 at 10:29 am:
I think it’s been about ten years ago or so. We had a “homegrown” idiot in Gainesville with venemous snakes of some sort. I think it was a Cobra. Anyways, the joker got bit and the antivenom was only to be had at two zoos in the nation, neither of which were on even the east coast let alone the Commonwealth or DC/Baltimore region. The snake of course was illegal for him to have. Then a couple of years after that incident. Don’t you know the same damn thing happened to the very same “snake charmer”. I hope the “snake man” of Arlington takes those snakes far, far away from PWC. Maybe, he should just consider making “snake stew or soup” of them.
Does anyone else remember this dude from Gainesville with the snakes?
Dolph, Loudoun, Red Dawn or AWC, do any of you remember this or more details? I ask you four, because I know you all have been in PWC long enough to have been living here at the time.
Common Law Marriage in Virginia
A “common law marriage” is one in which the parties may hold themselves out as a husband and wife, and under certain circumstances, be deemed married without a marriage license or ceremony.
Virginia does not allow the creation of a “common law” marriage, a relationship in which a couple lives together but have not participated in a lawful ceremony. Unlike some other states, in Virginia a couple cannot acquire marital rights and responsibilities by living together for a particular period of time. You do not need legal action to end such a relationship, if it was created in Virginia.
However, Virginia does recognize as valid, common law marriages created in other states if the legal requirements of those states have been met. As a result, legal action is needed to dissolve legal “common law” marriages performed in other states and foreign countries in compliance with their licensing and ceremonial regulations. The courts are available for determining the rights of parties now living in Virginia.
As long as a couple lives together as husband and wife, the question of validity of their marriage is unlikely to arise. However, for purposes of inheritance or the benefits of pension plans or social security, a valid marriage is required.
Lafayette,
Can’t find the articl but found this…and YES, I remember it
07/08/95 Prince William County, VA 28-year-old man is bitten twice on hands by “pet” cobra. He is admitted to hospital in critical condition and is put on life-support equipment. Later his condition is upgraded to serious. Man had at least 12 poisonous snakes as “pets.” (Richmond Times)
http://www.api4animals.org/popups/a3b_captive_animal_incidents.php
Krutis said on 20 May 2008 at 10:01 am:
Loudoun @ 9:42 - No, I live in a small subdivision populated by people from 6 months to over 90. The pre-schoolers across the street are outside but they are the only young’uns outside. Two early teens next to them have band, basketball, soccer, crosscountry running, maybe other things. The boy cuts my lawn for $25 (20 before the gas price went up). There are other kids around but hardly ever seen. Parents work, so weekends are filled with tasks and errands not taken care of during the week.
How much do you pay the young man who drives you to Taco Bell for your daily chalupa?
Driving Ms. Crazy!
As long as the young man gets his share, I pay nada. My highly valued presence plus freely given wisdom are enough for him, he states. Hasta pronto!
Hey, what does you comment mean anyway?
Red Dawn,
Many thanks. I will do some more digging for the ole MJM take on things. I love how that list calls them “pets”. It looks like the exotics have attacked their owners accross this great nation.
The snake guy is a retard, anyone who would keep dangerous reptiles like that (other than a trained zoologist) is about as stupid as they come. It’s not like snakes can snuggle up next you at night like a dog or cat. This is akin to keeping a great white shark in your pool, not very sensible. you mess with the bull, you get the horns
Driving Ms. Daisy
It was a movie in the early 90’s. Jessica Tandy and Morgan Freeman.
Excellent movie, Che’ - one of my very favorites!
J. Tyler Ballance said on 20 May 2008 at 9:46 am:
COMMON LAW MARRIAGE:
If two people live together for an unspecified number of months, Virginia courts have been quick to declare that union a, “common law marriage” and all of the rights and especially the bad parts, like child support/alimony, apply.
When did this change? Many years ago common law marriage was not recogonized in VA no matter how long two people lived together. Found this out when a client had to pay back taxes when they filed as married for years but IRS disallowed it because it was not recogonized by VA. They got married and were divorced within two years after marrying :(((((
See the post by ladyxx at 1:05. Virginia courts do get involved in divorces by people who had been in Common law marriages elsewhere, but moved to VA.
I was satirically making a point that with all of these common law marriages being deemed legitimate (for the purpose of divorce; how ironic), based on a couple living together, why have the courts not recognized the homo-marriages on the same basis? If Virginia recognizes other states’ common law marriages, will we be required (by the Supreme Court) to recognize other states’ same-sex marriages.
On the other part of this thread discussing snakes that seem to be spreading far and wide, all across the county, I suggest a new thread, perhaps even a separate blog, that could be called:
SNAKES ON PLAINS !
I may be a little late jumping in here but in response to the grass cutting and the county placing a Weed Lein on the property. It will just be another in the long littany of leins. Keep in mind that the Realtors are usually the ones stuck with the bill until re submit invoices for reimbursement and then another 60 days until they pay us back. I am sure there are plenty of you that don’t care and blame us for the grass.
I said it before and I will say it again. We know the grass is long. We are upset about it to. It doesn’t help us sell a house when it looks like a jungle. The banks (most) have a contract with a service and it is out of our control as to when the service comes. We call them ourselves, we e-mail, we call our bank contact and we get a run around or excuses too. The fact of the matter is that they are overwhelmed with work, the rain has actually been a contributing factor for them since it slows their days to work but helps the grass grow quicker. I am not defending the services, it makes the Realtors look bad. Calling us isn’t going to solve your grass problem. You are going to call us and we are going to tell you what I just told you then we are going to call the service and the bank and they will tell us they are well aware of the situation.
Believe me, we are plenty busy trying to call the utility companies to find out how much we need to pay from the previous owners balance to get the utilities turned on so we can get these places trashouted out and price them to try and get some of these homes sold.
One more thing…where is the money going to come from??? You and I. IT gets passed back to us one way or another. Watch the stock market for a few days, those bank stocks you see tanking and the proposed gov’t money injected into the banks. That’s our tax dollars. So the County can access the fine and the bank will pay it, then it gets passed right back to the taxpayers.
PWC isn’t the only place with grass issues…
http://www.cantonrep.com/index.php?ID=413006&Category=9&subCategoryID=0
AnonRE,
Thanks again. I sure hope Citizen12 comes back and sees your thoughts.
I still can’t think about those jokers in the Park with the utilites.
J. Tyler Ballance said on 20 May 2008 at 4:09 pm:
What about all the regualr snakes on this blog. Where do think they should slither off to?
http://www.azcentral.com/12news/news/articles/2008/05/14/20080514shootout05142008-CR.html
I wonder who these two were?
Lafayette,
Then you will love that fact that I just had to pay an $845 water bill. I asked them how the heck they could let it get so high and their priceless answer was that they couldn’t just let someone live without water.
AnonRE,
Don’t tell me anymore. I’m gonna have stroke.~lol
“they just couldn’t let someone live there without water”
Right, then they need to pay the bill or have have the place declared inhabitable(or something) until the water bill is paid. I am so very sorry to hear that. I’m glad to see you back. I don’t know how long you’ve been around the area. But the water prices got so high in the Park. It caused residents to steal water from one another.
As far as I’m aware the water prices in the Park are still $35 base sewer free plus $4 per gallon and this has not changed in several years.
Correction: $4 per 1000 gallons
Jeez, they turned my water off when I was one week late with the payment. I had to pay a ridiculously high reconnection charge just for some old man to come by with a wrench and turn the valve back on.
jfk,
Of course they did. PWCSA doesn’t care if you have water or not if you didn’t pay the bill. Obviously, the same does not apply in the Park.
MPResident,
The outrageous water prices I spoke of was during the 80’s.
$4 per 1,000 gallons in crazy. In the county during peak season a single family home pays $2.92 per 1,000 gallons. Then there’s sewer on top of that. Is that $4 for water only?
Here’s part of the fee schedule from PWCSA.
http://www.pwcsa.org/customers/Cust_Ratebook_12pp_r5FNL08.pdf
To all those out there who are participating and will be participating in Neighborhood Watch,
Thank you for caring about your neighborhood. You are special. Keep up the good work and God bless you.
AnonRE: It’s hard to feel sorry for realtors who made so much coin back when houses were on the market for three days before they sold. You guys continuously made your 3% of $300,000 ($9000) sales for little more than a couple days work. Meanwhile, we are stuck with houses with values dropping like crazy.
Now it’s time for the good times to stop for you too. Get some neighborhood kid to cut the grass for the houses you have on the market. Buck the system. Maybe people will drive by the homes you have on the market and say “Hey! There’s a realtor who cares about their product, maybe I’ll take a look” and you’ll be able to sell it to a decent citizen rather than some scumbag.
SickOfTheExcuses,
AnonRE addressed the grass and several other things on another thread. She sounds like one of the good ones. She said her husband had mowed lawns for before. She also explained how the banks are contracting directly with “clean up crews”. Remember realtors are like any other “group” there are “bad eggs” everywhere. Yes, the realtors were making the bucks in the hay day. The hay day is over. The foreclosures are creating extra tedious work for all those involved with real eastate. This is from the realtor to our county Zoning Office. They are very labor intensive deals on all fronts.
Do you really think a realtor should have to foot an $845 water bill so they can list the property? This is a ridiculous practice, which is happening in the Park.
Question about tall grass -
Who is legally responsible for mowing the strip of grass on the other side of a sidewalk?
I’ve always just done it when I mowed my yard and so has everyone else I’ve ever known.
But lately I’ve seen quite a few mowed “yards” but the sidewalk strip is 3 feet high.
Can that be turned in?
Common sense dictates that the strip is mowed with one’s yard, but common sense seems to be in short supply lately.
“Is that $4 for water only?”
Yes. The $35 is for sewer and then there is a $4 fee for each 1000 gallons for water only.
In other words..there is a flat rate of $35 per month for sewer.
Then there is a $4 per 1000 gallon charge for water.
So the formula for computing the bill is thus:
35+x*4
where x is the number of 1000 gallon units used. The meters read in 1000 gallon increments. (The asterisk is a multiplication symbol). Remember “Please Excuse My Dear Aunt Sally” (order of operations, parenthesis, exponents, multiplication, division, addition, subtraction) so multiply x times 4 first and then add 35.
Incidentally, if I were in charge of the Park I’d turn the water off. The last thing this place needs is more deadbeat illegal aliens. Move ‘em out.
MPResident,
Thanks for the break down of the Park’s billing.
I think most of us would agree turn the water OFF until payment and all fees are paid in full.
anon,
Common sense difinately in short supply. Yes, report that tall grass to Zoning if in the county you call 703-792-7018 or online at..
http://www.pwcgov.org/default.aspx?topic=010013000250001825
Neighborhood services is really all over the grass situation. They have brought out the big guns for some of these houses. Major heavy duty commercial mowing equipment. I have seen 3 real bad properties cleaned up in the past 2 days. The complaints had not been made all that long ago on one of the houses.
Dolph,
00 KG got taken care of by a crew of about 6. Weed wackers and mowers fired up and were taking care of business. Patty, her hubbie, and myself all saw them with our own two eyes, unload the trailer load of equipment to get the job done.
Neighborhood Services is truly to be commended for their efforts regarding the grass.
For those who still believe that it is right for illegal aliens to benefit from this country’s generosity by taking welfare benefits meant for our own poor, such as HUD housing (which many are, utilizing stolen and forged documentation…or being enabled by public servants blinded by false compassion), perhaps you should take a look at this link to a story coming to us from Santa Barbara in Mexifornia:
http://www.cnn.com/2008/LIVING/wayoflife/05/19/homeless.mom/index.html#cnnSTCText
These are middle class women who suddenly fell upon hard times and, when the emergency assistance was needed, there are long waiting lists and little available to help them and, although they are working, wages are so depressed (by an over-abundance of cheap labor, perhaps?) and jobs becoming scarce that they are forced to live in their cars:
“Harvey now works part time for $8 an hour, and she draws Social Security to help make ends meet. But she still cannot afford an apartment, and so every night she pulls into a gated parking lot to sleep in her car, along with other women who find themselves in a similar predicament.”
So much for the American Dream…it’s just not for Americans anymore.
To Sick of the Excuses
At no point is our job a “slam duuk”. First of all, good luck getting a 3% commission, especially in the “hay day”. When the market is hot every seller out there wants to pay about half of that. If you think the work stops the second there is a contract you are sadly misinformed, it’s when the work begins. Who do you think coordinates everything with the lender, sits through the 2+ hour home inspection to make sure the house is sound, negotiates the repairs ( and let me tell you when it’s a sellers market good luck trying to convince a seller that the wood rot on their house is “not the buyers problem), coordinate the closing.Did I mention the 11 pm phone calls from the seller asking if I have checked the buyers credit once again to make sure they qualify. Or the call from the buyer right after that asking if the living room was sage green or tan. Do you allow your employer to call you randomly to ask where youleft the white out? It takes a lot of hard work and long hours to get a house to the closing table. Once the sale is closed do ou really think the entire commission goes to the agent. Think again, there is the split the agent has with the firm they work with (50% for a newer agent and 30% for an average experienced agent). They there are taxes to be paid. We are self employed so more than a 1/3 goes to taxes. Then we have the expense of selling the home. We buy our own signs an pay our own advertising. It doesn’t cost a seller any upfront money to sell and they don’t cover the cost of advertising, it’s all wrapped into the commission. THEN we get what is left. By the way, purchasers don’t pay us a thing. We use our gas and show them ALL of the houses they want to see, even if it’s 100 (on our gas tank). Sometimes they decide it “isnt the time to buy” and we don’t hand them a bill for our ga, it’s also the cost of doing business.
I can tell you I am a very experienced agent with a lot of sales under my belt and I don’t make more than the average beltway bandit. I am not complaining, I have a college degree and I chose Real Estate as my career but don’t think for one second it’s an easy lifestyle. I am on call 24/7. I work 7 days a week. I haven’t had a family vacation in 2 1/2 years so don’t tell me that we are all sitting around raking it in without paying our dues. I welcome you to spend a week with me. Just make sure you pack a lunch an a dinner. I start at 5:30-6am and usually end around 9:30pm with just enough time to see my family for dinner.
You suggest “bucking the system”. I have signed contracts with the bank to follow their rules. While you spend a week with me I will put you in charge of calling the banks and the service companies to deal with the grass. Then you can see how long one phone call takes only to have to make another one that afternoon with the same response. They are overwhelmed with calls and as much as I an not happy with the time it takes to get their job done, they too are working very long hours and doing the best they can. When those calls are finished you can spend the rest of your time on the phone with the utility companies. If there is nautral gas to the house bring your car, you will be required to drive into DC to show them your agreement with the bank and your ID just to have the gas turned on.
One more thing, to your comment about about selling to a descent person instead of a scumbag. Please clarify exactly how one distinguishes between the two. I have worked with blule collar families that look not so pleasant from the outside but have been the best clients and I have worked with and some professional people who have been the biggest jerks and meanest people. So you tell me, who is a scumbag to you. I surely can’t tell from appearances. That would be discrimination and I am not interested in going down that road.
By the way, lender requirements are very tight right now so when someone qualifies it isn’t just because they can wake up in the morning. We cannot discriminate based on race,sex,relgion,etc.
Lafayette—thanks for your comments!!
AnonRE,
Woo Hoo!! Keep it up. You have shed great light on what you deal with daily. I hope all are paying attention. I know you’ve gotten mine.
I love the comment about the biggest jerks and meanest people. I learned never to judge a book by it’s cover a long time ago. I remember working at the “big bad Manassas Mall” as teenager, and the people I had pegged to be PIA’s based on looks turned out to be the nicest.
AnonRE,
Thanks for setting everyone straight about the life of a realtor. There seems to be the tendency here to lump everyone in to the same stereotype, regardless of what is being discussed. Your explanations have been very informative. I have real estate friends and over the years I believe the industry has gotten a lot rougher on those in the business.
Let’s be fair. AnonRE is a hard working agent, but there are plenty of others who are not. Like my agent, who sat in a meeting with the builder and didn’t say a word, yet collected a commission on the purchase of a house that we had already picked out without her. When she listed our old house, the sign was dumped in the yard. I called her, and she had the nerve to ask if I could put it up. BTW, our house sold in a day and she was late to the closing. I never tried calling her at 11:00, but had I done so I am sure she would not have answered.
Stereotypes run both ways. But, congratulations on being a hard working professional. Gosh knows we need more people like you around here.
jfk,
Yes, AnonRE is good one. When we purchased our home the agent had know both the buyer and seller for decades. He never had to even list the property. He only wrote the contract and showed up at settlement, and took the max allowable by law. Luckily the seller paid all of those costs. There are certainly greedy ones out there too.
jfk,
I forgot to ask did you get my email a week or so ago? Greg gave me your email as requested.
cp
jfk,
It’s probably the same Raltor that doesn’t return other realtors calls and asks us to take their lockbox off the door and bring it by closing because “they are busy running errands”. You are right, there a bad eggs in every profession…
Sorry to hear about your experience. It’s a tarnish on our reputation (desevingly so)
Yep, got your email. I am waiting for the process to play out. My neighbor has turned into a “good egg” since the boarder moved out. The yard looks good, the midnight motorcade of boarders has stopped, so I am happy. We’ll see how long it lasts; hopefully a while.
U.S. Border Control
Mexican police officials are seeking asylum in U.S.
Posted: 20 May 2008 09:48 PM CDT
Javier Emilio Pérez Ortega had built his career on the law, but has lost faith in his country’s ability to enforce it. Ortega served four months as police chief in Puerto Palomas, Mexico, enduring death threats from drug smugglers and watching his entire police force resign en masse.
In March, Pérez arrived at the international border crossing with the United States, seeking political asylum. He is one of three Mexican municipal police chiefs to do so the past several months.
U.S. immigration law does make exceptions for persecution by non-state actors if asylum seekers can provide evidence that their government can’t or won’t intervene. But in Mexico, a new president has spent much of his first 18-months in office battling drug cartels. The narcotics traffickers have fought back, focusing on law enforcement officials.
Since January 2008, 25 officers have been killed in suspected drug-related violence nationwide. Edgar Millán Goméz, the head of the nation’s federal police force, was assassinated May 8 at his home in Mexico City. More than 300 officers died in 2007.
Pérez remains in the custody of U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement while his case is under review. He hopes to move his family to the United States soon. Puerto Palomas has already hired a replacement police chief.
Click here to view our entire news blog
Sorry folks, but every time I go into Manassas and see that sign across from Harris Pavilion, I wish I had a flame thrower. They were out there this past Sat. cutting the grass and letting their Taco Bell mutts run around. What is the status on this and is anything inching toward a solution to tear that asinine sign down?
rebelreggie-
My spies on the border tell me that the revolution is gonna begin shortly and the Narcoterroristas will be openly in charge of the government. I wonder if they’ll be accepting deportations?
http://www.abc15.com/news/state/story.aspx?content_id=8e05cb5d-0658-4509-9ffc-1356bb73a9ff
Sheriff Joe is in the apologist’s faces. Go, Joe!
http://www.elpasotimes.com/ci_9289280
This is the real thing, folks. We have to battle our managers on top of everything else we do. Support your local CBP Officer/Border Patrol Agent!
rebelreggie said on 21 May 2008 at 11:13 am:
U.S. Border Control
Mexican police officials are seeking asylum in U.S.
MEXICO - WHAT A COUNTRY! YOU GOTTA LOVE IT!
Does this mean that we foreigners will be able to own waterfront property in Mexico?
http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/news/localnews/stories/DN-shakedown_23met.ART.Central.Edition1.46ebd74.html
More wonderful foreign culture for us to assimilate!