my neighbor is a sex offender... *update in op*

[Oldgringo]

We can't pick our neighbors or our relatives.

My neighbor is a teenage girl whose mother allows her to have sleepover boyfriends with big loud trucks. A couple of years ago, while the teenager was entertaining 4-5 sleepover male friends in one area of the house, the pre-school daughter set the other end of the house on fire. The mother got home from her night job as a prison guard 50 miles away just as quickly as she could.

While it has quietened down some this past year, these people are still there in the partially burned out house. Neither the city, the churches nor the schools can, or will, do anything about it? The Sheriff who lives a block away is fully aware of the situation and is also powerless. Is this a great country or what?

[Medic218]

Is this a great country or what?

I think so....
there are just some not so great people in it

[gigag04]

i've already talked to the police chief and he knows about it. i also told him that his officers need to do a better job.

He knows about what? What would you have the officers do without probable cause to go inside the house?

Just because officers need to speak to an individual does not indicate that he has warrants...

Just because someone appears cracked out and weird does not mean they are, or that they are even selling drugs...

Curious - how did you get in touch with the chief? Most chiefs I know (a few actually) do not field calls from random citizens about the performance of their officers - that is what sergeants or IA lt's are for.

[Hoi Polloi]

saltydog452 made a really good point about "sex offenders." Some of them were 18 year olds who fogged up the windows with their 17 year old girlfriends, whose parents decided to press charges.

Not in Texas. If one party is 14-16 years old and the other party is less than three years age difference then it is legal in Texas. If both parties are 17 or older, independent of age difference, it is legal (assuming no legal relationship that bars those two from engaging in such behavior).

[lowonair]

i've already talked to the police chief and he knows about it. i also told him that his officers need to do a better job.

He knows about what? What would you have the officers do without probable cause to go inside the house?

Just because officers need to speak to an individual does not indicate that he has warrants...

Just because someone appears cracked out and weird does not mean they are, or that they are even selling drugs...

Curious - how did you get in touch with the chief? Most chiefs I know (a few actually) do not field calls from random citizens about the performance of their officers - that is what sergeants or IA lt's are for.

he knows about everything that is going on. the prostitution that this mans family is a part of, the obvious drug dealing and usage, and the parties that end in violence. they have probable cause when we call them to report stuff.

when they came looking for the guy it wasnt to speak with him. the officer specifically told the person that answered the door that he needed to turn himself in or things would be worse for him if they had to find him to take him into custody.

he doesnt just "appear" to be drugged up, he is. i know people that used to be friends with him and his family that have seen first hand what goes on behind their closed doors. i've personally seen them use drugs in front of the local children.

when you are family friends with the person below the chief him its easy to get ahold of him.


if im correct you are a police officer or somehow involved in law enforcement. im not trying to make leo's look bad, but when some officers know what is going on and have complaints from neighbors yet do nothing, it kinda gets on some peoples nerves. if you are an officer, thank you for what you do .

[lowonair]

Update in first post.

[hangfour]

and we're thinking of buying the place to keep anyone else from renting it.

Be sure to inspect (chemically) the place carefully before you consider buying it. A neighbor of mine (a druggie) lost her place and it went on sale from the bank. The new owner got a really cheap price on the place at auction. The problems arose when they realized that the person had been using crack cocaine. All the interior walls and ceilings had to be torn out and replaced to rid the home of the toxicity from the residual cocaine. It cost the new owner a fortune to make the place livable. Cuidado.

[MoJo]

saltydog452 made a really good point about "sex offenders." Some of them were 18 year olds who fogged up the windows with their 17 year old girlfriends, whose parents decided to press charges.

Not in Texas. If one party is 14-16 years old and the other party is less than three years age difference then it is legal in Texas. If both parties are 17 or older, independent of age difference, it is legal (assuming no legal relationship that bars those two from engaging in such behavior).

I was going to mention the "Romeo and Juliet" law but Hoi Polloi beat me to it.

[Keith B]

and we're thinking of buying the place to keep anyone else from renting it.

Be sure to inspect (chemically) the place carefully before you consider buying it. A neighbor of mine (a druggie) lost her place and it went on sale from the bank. The new owner got a really cheap price on the place at auction. The problems arose when they realized that the person had been using crack cocaine. All the interior walls and ceilings had to be torn out and replaced to rid the home of the toxicity from the residual cocaine. It cost the new owner a fortune to make the place livable. Cuidado.

Good point. If the individual was cooking meth, then there may be toxic residue left from the process that can be extremely hazardous to your health. If they were cooking, then you will require professionals to clean it due to the caustic nature of the fumes.

[A-R]

and we're thinking of buying the place to keep anyone else from renting it.

Be sure to inspect (chemically) the place carefully before you consider buying it. A neighbor of mine (a druggie) lost her place and it went on sale from the bank. The new owner got a really cheap price on the place at auction. The problems arose when they realized that the person had been using crack cocaine. All the interior walls and ceilings had to be torn out and replaced to rid the home of the toxicity from the residual cocaine. It cost the new owner a fortune to make the place livable. Cuidado.

Good point. If the individual was cooking meth, then there may be toxic residue left from the process that can be extremely hazardous to your health. If they were cooking, then you will require professionals to clean it due to the caustic nature of the fumes.

exactly! And if this individual was doing such things, the owner is required to inform you of this .... see bottom left question in section 3 of Texas Association of Realtors Sellers' Disclosure notice

http://www.texasrealtors.com/mr/forms/blank/1406.pdf" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Hoi Polloi]

and we're thinking of buying the place to keep anyone else from renting it.

Be sure to inspect (chemically) the place carefully before you consider buying it. A neighbor of mine (a druggie) lost her place and it went on sale from the bank. The new owner got a really cheap price on the place at auction. The problems arose when they realized that the person had been using crack cocaine. All the interior walls and ceilings had to be torn out and replaced to rid the home of the toxicity from the residual cocaine. It cost the new owner a fortune to make the place livable. Cuidado.

Good point. If the individual was cooking meth, then there may be toxic residue left from the process that can be extremely hazardous to your health. If they were cooking, then you will require professionals to clean it due to the caustic nature of the fumes.

exactly! And if this individual was doing such things, the owner is required to inform you of this .... see bottom left question in section 3 of Texas Association of Realtors Sellers' Disclosure notice

http://www.texasrealtors.com/mr/forms/blank/1406.pdf" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I vaguely remember being told that banks are exempt from that rule. They do not have to disclose major things wrong with the house. I don't remember the circumstances enough, but if you were looking into buying a house, that would be worth looking into.

[A-R]

depending upon how the bank acquired the property, you're basically correct. as always, I Ain't No Lawyer

Of course, where I run into this issue a lot is out-of-town landlords who think they're exempt from providing this disclosure because "I never lived there!" .... they are no exempt even if they've never seen the property (there was a lot of this in last few years in Austin area as distressed California investors started dumping their Texas properties)

Texas Property Code 5.008

Sec. 5.008. SELLER'S DISCLOSURE OF PROPERTY CONDITION. (a) A seller of residential real property comprising not more than one dwelling unit located in this state shall give to the purchaser of the property a written notice as prescribed by this section or a written notice substantially similar to the notice prescribed by this section which contains, at a minimum, all of the items in the notice prescribed by this section.

[note: large portion deleted]

(e) This section does not apply to a transfer:

(1) pursuant to a court order or foreclosure sale;

(2) by a trustee in bankruptcy;

(3) to a mortgagee by a mortgagor or successor in interest, or to a beneficiary of a deed of trust by a trustor or successor in interest;

(4) by a mortgagee or a beneficiary under a deed of trust who has acquired the real property at a sale conducted pursuant to a power of sale under a deed of trust or a sale pursuant to a court ordered foreclosure or has acquired the real property by a deed in lieu of foreclosure;

(5) by a fiduciary in the course of the administration of a decedent's estate, guardianship, conservatorship, or trust;

(6) from one co-owner to one or more other co-owners;

(7) made to a spouse or to a person or persons in the lineal line of consanguinity of one or more of the transferors;

(8) between spouses resulting from a decree of dissolution of marriage or a decree of legal separation or from a property settlement agreement incidental to such a decree;

(9) to or from any governmental entity;

(10) of a new residence of not more than one dwelling unit which has not previously been occupied for residential purposes; or

(11) of real property where the value of any dwelling does not exceed five percent of the value of the property.

[lowonair]

dont worry guys, if we buy it it will be torn down soon after we get it. the house really isn't liveable unless you like holes in your floor and rusted water faucets. the whole house is disgusting. they're pulling all the stuff out that the old renters had in it and it all smells like death.

[tacticool]

Although austinrealtor is technically correct, if the seller makes a false statement (fails to disclose) the buyer would have to sue and prove the seller knew about the defect and, if they win, hope the seller has assets they can find and attach to collect the judgment. Maybe it's a moot point if lowonair buys it as a tear down.

[Oldgringo]

We can't pick our neighbors or our relatives.

My neighbor is a teenage girl whose mother allows her to have sleepover boyfriends with big loud trucks. A couple of years ago, while the teenager was entertaining 4-5 sleepover male friends in one area of the house, the pre-school daughter set the other end of the house on fire. The mother got home from her night job as a prison guard 50 miles away just as quickly as she could.

While it has quietened down some this past year, these people are still there in the partially burned out house. Neither the city, the churches nor the schools can, or will, do anything about it? The Sheriff who lives a block away is fully aware of the situation and is also powerless. Is this a great country or what?

This problem may be in the process of curing itself. The teen age girl came into our yard a week or so ago to retrieve their demented yapping Yorkie and I noticed that she's really starting to look a lot like her Momma. Her Momma isn't very pretty nor is she very petite. Some women want (?) a tattoo or more for whatever reasons? I've seen various astrological symbols used in women's tattoos; however, this Momma has the solar system, as we know it, on her back.

Next door to us was once the nicest house in our hamlet when the original owner/builder lived next door. RIP, Libby. {SIGH}