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For the reasons enumerated in the article. Difficulty of local governments addressing violations, inability for neighbors to contact the owners to sort out shar
by CPLX 7y ago
For the reasons enumerated in the article. Difficulty of local governments addressing violations, inability for neighbors to contact the owners to sort out shared issues, etc.
And more. There is societal good created when people are able to discover who owns property. No piece of property exists in a vacuum.
- Trias11 7y agoI totally support the notion that if violations are remain unresolved and fines are remain unpaid, government should have full right to repossess the property and sell it on public auction. Regardless if owner is known or not known.
- yardie 7y agoCity and county government typicaly hold the deeds. If an anonymous LLC is being problematic just have them send a letter "Pay fine within 30 days or we sell your property on the courthouse steps." I prefer to know my neighbors but I also understand why some owners would want to stay anonymous. But being anonymous should not allow you to be an asshole as well.
- pixl97 7y agoRisky for a politician. You never know when that LLC is part of a consortium that also funds your reelection.
- paulryanrogers 7y agoThanks for the reminder that the US (still) desperately needs campaign finance reform.
- quantified 7y agoBeyond risk: they absolutely know how much money can come from real estate industry groups and benefitting themselves, and how little from opposing it.
- CPLX 7y agoThere’s really no axiomatic reason why the LLC has to be anonymous in the first place. The whole concept of an LLC is a construct, a fictional entity intended to take the place of a person before the law. It is fundamentally a state created thing, there’s no issue of rights or natural law at stake here. It’s a privilege. The usual goals stated for allowing corporations to exist at all are shared ownership and limited liability, to enable productive and speculative enterprise. A single person who wants to hide within that structure doesn’t have any special claim on that right, unless they can demonstrate why the state should allow it, an argument that has to be made on the grounds of increased social good. If we want anonymous property ownership we should legislate it. We don’t, real estate transactions are usually public.