Day: November 26, 2020

LAND FOR SALE

Labour-run Croydon council declares bankruptcy due to rampant property speculation

2 months ago
[email protected]_84

After years of financial skulduggery, including the sell-off of public assets, Labour Party-run Croydon Council in south London effectively declared bankruptcy on November 11. It issued a Section 114 notice under the 1988 Local Government Finance Act, which councils are required to do if they do not to have sufficient financial resources to function.

The council has a budget deficit of £66 million and total debt of £1.5 billion.

After making its announcement, the council was legally obliged to cease all spending apart from on statutory services and to safeguard vulnerable people. Existing commitments and contracts must continue to be honoured.

Croydon Council headquarters (credit: Wikimedia Commons)

The cuts to come threaten hundreds more job losses and cuts to public services already pared to the bone for a population of nearly 390,000 people. This week the council outlined a “renewal” programme of spending cuts that “will require one of the

… Read More

FOR SALE

The Good Life is for sale, and it is for everyone | Regional Government

2 months ago
[email protected]_84

“It’s one of the few items we have that has drawn traffic to our sites, rather than just being an item on the shelf for purchase.”


Will tourism shakeup bring ‘the good life’ back to ‘Nice’ Nebraska?

Melissa Lindell Kozak, a Beatrice native and former KLKN-TV news producer now working at Clarkson University in upstate New York, bought one last year while home visiting family.
Good Life sign

Melissa Lindell Kozak’s Good Life sign hangs in her office at Clarkson University in Potsdam, New York, where the Beatrice native and Nebraska grad works as director of media relations.




“I told my parents, ‘We’ve got to go to the Historical Society to get one of these signs to put up in my office,” she said. “I thought it was a nice piece of home, 1,500 miles away.”

The familiar sign means something to her, whether it’s a replica or it’s real. She

… Read More

HOME VALUES

Hong Kong home prices to extend decline after October’s 0.6 per cent surprise drop as Covid-19’s fourth wave dents confidence

2 months ago
[email protected]_84



a man standing in front of a large city: It is likely most of October’s transactions involved owners who were still willing to reduce their asking prices because of concerns about the economic outlook, said Derek Chan of Ricacorp. Photo: Winson Wong

© SCMP
It is likely most of October’s transactions involved owners who were still willing to reduce their asking prices because of concerns about the economic outlook, said Derek Chan of Ricacorp. Photo: Winson Wong

The fourth wave of coronavirus infections is expected to drag Hong Kong’s home prices down further after they “unexpectedly” fell 0.6 per cent in October.

In an earlier-than-expected release, the government’s Rating and Valuation Department on Thursday revealed that the secondary market home price index dropped to 380.9 last month.

“Even though the epidemic was relatively stable, the property price index last month unexpectedly softened,” said Derek Chan, head of research at Ricacorp Properties.

Get the latest insights and analysis from our Global Impact newsletter on the big stories originating in China.

He believed this was because the economic situation – Hong Kong is mired in its worst ever recession – and high unemployment are

… Read More

FOR SALE BY OWNER

TikTok’s owner, ByteDance, receives 1-week extension to seal U.S. sale

2 months ago
[email protected]_84

TikTok’s clock keeps changing.

The U.S. government has granted Tik Tok’s owner, ByteDance, a week-long extension to seal a deal to sell off the video sharing app, the Treasury Department said Wednesday.



a sign in front of a building: The clock is ticking for a bit longer.

© Mario Tama
The clock is ticking for a bit longer.

The clock is ticking for a bit longer. (Mario Tama/)

Video: U.S. gives extension to sale order of TikTok (Reuters)

U.S. gives extension to sale order of TikTok

UP NEXT

UP NEXT

The Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States pushed the deadline to Dec. 4 to “allow time to review a revised submission that the Committee recently received,” the Treasury Department said in a statement.

The Trump administration has pushed ByteDance, which is based in Beijing, to sell off TikTok to an American buyer, part of the commander-in-chief’s crackdown on Chinese tech companies. The White House tagged TikTok as a security threat in the

… Read More

HOMES

Homeless families sought shelter from COVID-19 in vacant homes. CHP evicted them before Thanksgiving

2 months ago
[email protected]_84

California Highway Patrol officers forcibly removed people who had “reclaimed” vacant, publicly owned homes in El Sereno late Wednesday — the night before Thanksgiving — amid a surge in COVID-19 cases.



a person standing in front of a building: Activists in March "reclaimed" vacant houses owned by Caltrans to house people amid the coronavirus pandemic. (Francine Orr/Francine Orr/Los Angeles Times)

© Provided by The LA Times
Activists in March “reclaimed” vacant houses owned by Caltrans to house people amid the coronavirus pandemic. (Francine Orr/Francine Orr/Los Angeles Times)

Videos of the evictions, posted on Twitter, show dozens of officers crowding the street near Sheffield Avenue and Poplar Boulevard around 7 p.m. The officers were met by a wave of protesters, who shouted, “Shame on you!” as authorities moved from door to door removing those who had moved into the homes.

Loading...

Load Error

At least one CHP team rammed open the door to one of the homes, video shows.

The evictions came just hours after 20 families moved into the homes owned by Caltrans, arguing that government officials have failed to

… Read More

HOMES

Homeless families evicted from vacant houses at Thanksgiving

2 months ago
[email protected]_84

California Highway Patrol officers forcibly removed people who had “reclaimed” vacant, publicly owned homes in El Sereno late Wednesday — the night before Thanksgiving — amid a surge in COVID-19 cases.

Videos of the evictions, posted on Twitter, show dozens of officers crowding the street near Sheffield Avenue and Poplar Boulevard around 7 p.m. The officers were met by a wave of protesters, who shouted, “Shame on you!” as authorities moved from door to door removing those who had moved into the homes.

At least one CHP team rammed open the door to one of the homes, video shows.

The evictions came just hours after 20 families moved into the homes owned by Caltrans, arguing that government officials have failed to provide the shelter that’s necessary for them to remain healthy during the COVID-19 pandemic.

It was not clear how many people were evicted from the houses. The CHP did

… Read More

FOR SALE BY OWNER

Hockey history up for sale as 97-year-old Vancouver Millionaires sweater hits auction

2 months ago
[email protected]_84

VANCOUVER – A unique piece of hockey history is up for sale, with a rare Vancouver Millionaires sweater hitting the auction block.

The cream and maroon wool cardigan is believed to have belonged to Hall of Fame goalie Hugh Lehman, who backstopped the Millionaires to a Pacific Coast Hockey Association championship in 1922-23.

About 10 to 15 sweaters were made for players and staff to celebrate the achievement, but the one currently up for sale is believed to be the last of its kind, said Mike Heffner, president of Lelands Auction.

“Of those 10 or 15, it’s amazing that even one survived,“ he said. ”Because you put clothing dormant in storage for even 10 years, if they’re not cared for properly, moths can get at them, they can deteriorate. And having something that is (almost) 100 years old, like this, that survived through so many different stages is incredible.”

Not

… Read More

FOR SALE

Aston Martin DB9 for sale has an amazing 104,854 miles on it

2 months ago
[email protected]_84

The typical Aston Martin DB9 for sale has something like 14,000 miles on it, but 4,000 is pretty typical and a “high-mileage” example would be less than 40,000. And remember, the DB9 went on sale 16 years ago, lasted until 2016, and there isn’t as much correlation between age and mileage as there are with other cars. Also remember, Aston Martins usually sit in garages collecting far more dust than, quite obviously, miles.

Which is why we’re oddly proud of this 2005 Aston Martin DB9 for sale that has 104,854 miles on it … and the original owner who had the audacity and awesomeness to drive it that much. Good job, buddy. The second owner, prior to selling it to selling dealer, put only 4,000 miles on it since 2015.

This plucky Aston-that-could is painted in what seems to be California Sage green with a Cream Truffle interior. With all

… Read More

HOMES

Officers remove people occupying state-owned homes in LA

2 months ago
[email protected]_84

LOS ANGELES

A group of homeless people who had taken over several empty, state-owned houses in Los Angeles was forcefully removed by California Highway Patrol officers hours later amid protests by dozens of community activists.

Members of Reclaim and Rebuild Our Community said in a video message to Gov. Gavin Newsom posted on YouTube on Wednesday that they had taken over several homes purchased by Caltrans for the now defunct 710 Freeway corridor expansion.

The group said that among them are homeless families with children and seniors who have been living in cars and encampments and are looking for a place to shelter in place during the pandemic.

“We feel that amidst the pandemic, it’s irresponsible and inhumane for the state to be hoarding 170 homes,” Claudia Lara of Reclaim and Rebuild Our Community told KNBC-TV.

A group of activists confronted the officers and the television station reported its cameras

… Read More

CONTRACTOR

Six Questions Every Customer Should Ask their Gate or Fencing Contractor

2 months ago
[email protected]_84

Six Questions Every Customer Should Ask their Gate or Fencing ContractorPhoto by Sherlock Pi

Originally Posted On: 6 Questions to Ask Your Fencing Contractor | Fencemakers

 

For the majority of people their home is their biggest single investment. Therefore, choosing the right company and trades to complete work on your property is important.

Fencing and gates are key to the curb appeal of your home. They are usually one of the first features people see, so you want them to be attractive, as well as functional.

But finding a reliable gate or fencing contractor isn’t always easy. In order to make an informed decision when choosing a contractor, there is some crucial information you need to be armed with. We’ve put together a few key questions you should ask.

One: How long you have been in business?

An extensive history of quality fencing work is a strong indicator of a trustworthy company employing experienced tradespersons. Years of service excellence will

… Read More