Fire code enforcement worries realty broker

I can sympathize with Gail's concerns, however the economic and criminal impact on the owner of a multi-family residence that experiences a fire or other public safety emergency that is not up to code would be even more devastating than the cost of coming into compliance. New fire codes have been in place for 4 years. The timing of this enforcement effort might be inconvenient, but it is long overdue if the goal is to provide public safety and investment assurances to owners and tenant alike.

Good for the Fire Dept. to take the frist step for inspection,every building should be checked,it adds value to the property an lower insurance costs plus tenants concern is answered .

Really you dumb real estate person. Ill tell you what, IF anything ever happened and she was the 1 that was part of the sale of the house or building, I would put her name on the top of the list to sue. She is only looking out for herself.
Bravo Fire Department !!!!!
Maybe her house(s)should also be inspected.

WOW
Are you kidding Real Estate people??
What are you Merchants of Death??
The Code is there for a reason--That is People die in Fires ??
Don't you get that Real Estate people, Diddn't they teach that in Real Estate school??
Don't you read the Newspap[ers or Watch TV or are you TOO INTERESTED IN MAKING MONEY ????
If I where you I would support any effort to ensure Property is up to any code----Yah That is your reposibility as it it is for the property Owner.
Stop worring about money and worry about saving lives !!!
You---Ms Real Estate Person and you the Entire Real Estate business HANG YOU HEAD IN SHAME for even printing this article !!!!!

Turk ,look at the back story. you may find that we have a large group of NEW fire inspectors. The old group didn't know about the gps in their city owned cars. Some of these buildings may not have been inspected in the last ten years. Just a thought before i fly.

so I should use this real estate agent to purchase a house that may not be up to code - oh that's right - buyer beware

What an interesting spin, Connecticut Post. How about an article like this:
Fire Chief worries about fatal fires; Multifamily homes targeted by initiative.

Hey PT, How bout.. Real estate bribes no longer accepted openly,brokers in panic.

In order to completely understand the impact of this article one needs to understand some very basic fire statistics. In our country we kill more than 3,000 people annually. Another 16,000 people are injured. We kill more people in fires than all natural disasters combined! More staggering is the fact that 85 percent of these fire related injuries and deaths occur where people live. The fire codes referenced in this article are relatively new, but they replaced very similar fire codes for this type of occupancy. Concerning to me is the ignorance of the real estate agent who specializes in Black Rock properties. This agent should know that the state requires three family apartment buildings to be inspected annually by the fire marshal and that these inspections are not only in the interest of public safety but are also in the interest of the property owner. The violations that are cited by the fire inspectors are life saving measures and should be looked at by the property owners as the cost of doing business.

I guess from a real estate perspective a profit on a sale is much more important than public safety. This real estate person should know that all properties three family and up are covered by the states fire code and are required to be inspected annually. The problem is no city or town has enough inpectors. I would not want to purchase a property from her, soft market or not, she obviously does not care about the tenants safety.

It would be better to publish code clearly in news paper or give out a piece of paper explaining code. News paper says One of the three, Is that true ? Do I need either Sprinkler system or Fire rated doors or Electrical alarm system on separate meter? Please somebody help

City comes up with all these codes, but they are expensive on land lords.
Black rock property taxes are about $11,000 per year. That will make owning property in Bridgeport uneconomical. If City, State or Federal Government helps in bringing buildings upto the code, then it is easier. Even if city suggests some contractors then it can help. Lead abatement, Electrical Updates, Fire Updates, heating system updates etc. makes owning building in bridgeport extremely uneconomical

kam wrote:

City comes up with all these codes, but they are expensive on land lords.
Black rock property taxes are about $11,000 per year. That will make owning property in Bridgeport uneconomical. If City, State or Federal Government helps in bringing buildings upto the code, then it is easier. Even if city suggests some contractors then it can help. Lead abatement, Electrical Updates, Fire Updates, heating system updates etc. makes owning building in bridgeport extremely uneconomical

A few thoughts regarding the above comments:
1. It is the State of Connecticut is responsible for establishing the fire codes. The State of Connecticut requires the fire marshal's to enforce these same codes.
2. It is mentioned that the City, State or Federal Government help in bringing these buildings up to code. It is not the city, state or federal governments responsibility to maintain private property. It is the responsibility of the property owner. To me it seems as obsurd as getting pulled over for a broken wind shield on my car and then asking the government to fix it?
3. Having the City suggest some contractors is a ethical problem... the inspectors site code violations and then suggest contractors to make the repairs??
These are tough times but those that own apartment buildings have an obligation to provied apartments that meet at least the minimum safety requirements as required by the state.

Hey Shadow. One more Monor thing. One might be surprised at the number of these buildings owned by attorneys or llc's formed by attorneys that will now plead ignorance of the law on Fire Code.

This realtor's main objective is to sell, sell and sell. She obviously doesn't give a rat's behind about the occupant's safety as long as she gets her commission. Too bad about her issues with a soft real estate market, a human life is worth more than her profit. Fire codes are intended to protect people. I'm not sure I'd buy a doghouse from this woman.

This realtor is a total moron!! She is more concerned about her investors and her commission than the lives of the tenants. If I owned a three family or greater property she would be the last realtor I would choose. Second thought, I will sell it on my own, why put money in her pocket. The laws have been on the books for years and she was not aware, what else is she not aware of? I'm sure she will be calling her past investor clients to inform them that she goofed up and she will reimburse them for their costs. She must be a wolf in sheeps clothing. It's agents like her that give realtors a bad reputation

What is wrong with this picture? Gail Robinson is concerned that fire inspections of these homes will have a negative impact on property values? As someone who used to rent in a 3-family home, I applaud the efforts of our local fire department for enforcing the law and can only assume that a landlord's compliance with fire codes would strengthen the value of the home, rather than weaken it. For her to intimate that she was unaware of fire codes and routine inspections that have been performed for years is both ludicrous and scary. Has she been so pre-occupied with making a buck that she has turned a blind eye on the safety of her clients and their tenants? I know that these are difficult times for all of us but how can anything be more important than one's safety?

This real estate agent should remember that a couple boys were tragically orphaned in Black Rock a few short years ago as a result of a fire in a multi-family house. Her comments are truly idiotic.

As to the matter of fire safety inspections in Bridgeport one major premise seems to be overlooked. The Connecticut General Statutes in section 29-305 requires a yearly inspection of all occupancy types under the Connecticut State Fire Safety Code. This encompasses obviously not only three family units but, many other buildings types in Bridgeport and throughout the state. The issue as to the motive or financial concerns of the real estate agent noted should not be the major discussion point here. It is the fact that these and hundreds of other typical occupancies are not being inspected in Bridgeport and other cities in Connecticut. My research via FOI and other means lists many fatalities, injuries and untold millions of property loss in buildings that had no inspections done within the mandated time frame. I would suggest that any concerned resident of the state of Connecticut contact the fire marshal in their community and ask to see the inspections records of a block of three family units. A specific case that comes to mind is the horrific fire several years previously at 1649 Iranistan Avenue in Bridgeport. Almost an entire family perished in a three family fire in an occupancy that had not been inspected per CGS 29-305 within the mandated time frame. The continual denigration of those that you may not agree with will not rectify the matter. Committed involvement and discussion of the problem will.