Thousands of Oakland County Residents At Risk of Foreclosure From Unfair & Selective Enforcement of Southfield's City Ordinance #1571
ATTENTION SOUTHFIELD HOMEOWNERS!
The City of Southfield decreased the tap-fee from an estimated $7,000 down to $5,000. If you were forced to connect to the City sewer January 2016-to-Present and you paid more than $5,000 for the tap-fee, then you are entitled to a refund of the difference. For information about your refund, contact City of Southfield Building department at (248) 796-4860.
Thousands of families in Southfield, MI are at risk of foreclosure NOT due to being behind on their mortage payments and property taxes, but as a result of Southfield's unfair & unlawfully selective enforcement of Ordinance #1571. Enacted in 1998, Ordinance #1571 requires that all homeowners/properties with a private septic tank system must have septic tank inspections every (3) years for certification. Properties that failed certification were to connect to the city sewer system.
THE INJUSTICE: The City of Southfield's application of Ordinance #1571 is blatantly unfair, unlawful and unconstitutional. The City of Southfield was selective in enforcing Ordinance #1571. It allowed its once large population of white homeowners to go decades with no enforcement of Ordinance #1571, i.e., no septic tank inspections every (3) years for certification per the ordinance. In 2016, the City of Southfield abruptly started enforcing universal Ordinance #1571 to its new homeowner--now a population of largely seniors and African Americans-- demanding that homeowners comply or be forced to connect to the city sewer system within 30 days!!
Unsuspecting homeowners face exorbitant costs between $15k - $70k!!
Unconstitutional: The City of Southfield purportedly offers distressed homeowners various loan options that include: 1) a loan for the dig out/connection, 2) a loan for the dewatering process, and 3) a loan for the tap fee. Distressed homeowners not only have their original 1st or 2nd mortgage to pay, but now potentially take on a 3rd, 4th, and 5th lien affixed to their property. The City issues the loans without regard to the homeowners ability to pay or their debt-to-income ratio (DTI)! Most felonious, the City of Southfield places the lien(s)/ payments onto the homeowner's water bill! When the homeowner can no longer pay the astronomical water bill, the debt rolls onto the homeowner's property taxes. Homeowner's/families unable to keep up with the payments face property tax foreclosure.
Conflict of Interest: The City of Southfield allegedly benefits from the homeowners/families forced upon hardship by using the City's first refusal rights. The City of Southfield uses its first refusal rights to purchase the same homes that homeowners/families were unfairly pushed into property tax foreclosure by selective enforcement of Ordinance #1571. The City of Southfield then allegedly sells these same homes to the Southfield Neighborhood Revitalization, LLC, and/or the Southfield Nonprofit Housing Corporation. Neither the SNRI, LLC or the SNPHC are city-entities, yet both organizations at one point shared the same address of Southfield City Hall. And, reported used city employees to perform duties with SNRI and SNPHC while on city time. The city's Mayor, Kenson Siver; City Administrator, Fred Zorn; and Ari Mandelbaum, City Councilman all hold influential positions not only as elected/appointed city officials, but are also key officials with SNRI and SNPHC, i.e., president, board director, etc.