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[-] comador@lemmy.world 96 points 1 week ago

FFS. How about just deny the purchase of single family homes by all businesses altogether?

[-] Hideakikarate@sh.itjust.works 28 points 1 week ago

As much as I'd like to see that done, I'm sure businesses would just use shell-people to buy the homes.

[-] ByteJunk@lemmy.world 17 points 1 week ago

Sounds perfect, do it. I wanna see your income statement when you own 20 apartments.

[-] BrianTheeBiscuiteer@lemmy.world 7 points 1 week ago

Don't remember what the business was but there have been cases of businesses using individuals names on paperwork, saying they own the business, but that person has zero responsibility and gets no pay for it. Probably it was on an episode of Last Week Tonight.

[-] finitebanjo@lemmy.world 1 points 1 week ago

Not only would it make sense for each of the shell people to have the income on their own tax statements when running that sort of subsidizing loan operation, but its actually got fiscal incentive to be done that way because it puts them in lower brackets.

Plus, given the number of foreign owners invested in US properties, it would be difficult or possibly even impossible to charge and expedite them for tax evasion given the tightly constrained budget of the IRS and therefor their inability to go after people without a gaurantee they can earn more back than they spend on the court proceedings.

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[-] orcrist@lemm.ee 3 points 1 week ago

Right. And tax fraud is a crime, so then could be massively fined or locked up for it.

[-] Hideakikarate@sh.itjust.works 2 points 1 week ago

If the only penalty for a crime is a fine, then the crime is legal for a fee.

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[-] shalafi@lemmy.world 14 points 1 week ago

Passing tax law is firmly in Congress' remit. Telling corporations what they can and cannot buy is a whole lot stickier. The former is far easier.

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[-] thefartographer@lemm.ee 6 points 1 week ago

You can't deny the purchase of a single family home from a person and businesses are people in this upside down country

[-] LostMyRedditLogin@lemmy.world 70 points 1 week ago

They shouldn't even be able to buy single family homes. They're buying houses all over the world raising house prices. They belong in the trash with Airbnb.

[-] SirEDCaLot@lemmy.today 12 points 1 week ago

There are a few, limited, cases where they should be able to. For example, if they have operations in an area that has frequent medium term employees coming in and out. It's valid for them to say we will offer you a house for the time you are here. But I would generally agree there is no reason for an investment company to be investing in single-family homes. It's good for the investment company, bad for society.

[-] orcrist@lemm.ee 8 points 1 week ago

In that situation they could buy a condo, for example.

[-] SirEDCaLot@lemmy.today 1 points 2 days ago

Why do we force them to do that? How does that help? The condo could be just as easily bought by a single family. The only point I am making is that there are a few legitimate situations where a corporation would want to buy property and we should let them. Houses should be for people to live in. Not for giant corporations to invest in.

[-] Lemming6969@lemmy.world 2 points 1 week ago

Then they cannot rent it... They could offset with wages. This prevents abuse to rent to anyone else.

[-] SirEDCaLot@lemmy.today 1 points 6 days ago

How about, corporations can own single-family homes, but can only provide them for use by their employees or contractors, not rent them out on the open market and if they sit vacant for more than a couple of months there is some huge tax or fine?

[-] Kattiydid@slrpnk.net 2 points 1 week ago

I think there are a significant number of different ways that a large corporation could provide housing for medium-term employees besides purchasing single family homes. Purchasing small apartment buildings, like a fourplex, or purchasing an empty lot and putting manufactured homes on it creating more housing instead of taking the starter homes from normal families.

[-] someguy3@lemmy.world 64 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago)

Raise taxes? They'll just pass the cost on to the renters. We need to forbid then from buying houses.

[-] reddit_sux@lemmy.world 23 points 1 week ago

Yes beyond a limit that property would be unrentable due to high rent. Then since the property owner still would have to pay taxes on the property he might sell it.

That is if the law is properly worded and properly applied.

[-] orcrist@lemm.ee 9 points 1 week ago

Your analysis is missing half the story. This setup would encourage local property ownership. They would undercut the corporations. We might see increased competition and therefore lower prices as a result.

I agree with you, though. A strong solution is better.

[-] henfredemars@infosec.pub 47 points 1 week ago

Not a chance this bill passes considering most of congress stands to benefit from not passing it.

I really hope it sends a message though.

[-] UnderpantsWeevil@lemmy.world 21 points 1 week ago

Sometimes you need a few good Congress critters to up the idea on the table.

Too many people don't even know what is possible

[-] Asafum@feddit.nl 9 points 1 week ago

Fucking seriously... I'm expecting some absolutely absurd numbers like (don't check my math) D200 No D11 Yes R All No

:(

[-] ignirtoq@fedia.io 5 points 1 week ago

No chance it will even come to the floor for a vote.

[-] BallsandBayonets@lemmings.world 31 points 1 week ago

Even a baby step is a step in the right direction, but can we be honest with the naming here? "Mildly Inconvenience Wall Street Landlords with a Tax They will pass on to their Renters Act" is more wordy, but tells you everything you need to know.

[-] just_another_person@lemmy.world 23 points 1 week ago

Good, but the damage is done, and they can afford those taxes which will only get caught on the backend resale.

They need to be forced to divest immediately to do any real good.

[-] some_guy@lemmy.sdf.org 22 points 1 week ago

Unless it's horribly written, this is obviously a good idea.

[-] TheReturnOfPEB@reddthat.com 17 points 1 week ago

I wonder how many members of Congress own rental properties

[-] DrPop@lemmy.world 9 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago)

This is specifically about corporations owning private property. Fuck landlords but i'd rather rent from a private citizen than an llc.

[-] iknowitwheniseeit@lemmynsfw.com 4 points 1 week ago

Meh. I had much better luck with corporations than private landlords. The people working for corporations generally want to do a good job and keep people happy. Owners want to minimize costs and invade your privacy to make sure you aren't causing too much wear and tear, since that's money otherwise going in their pocket.

Both will end up with shitty carpet and cheap appliances, of course.

[-] Betazed@lemmy.sdf.org 3 points 1 week ago

I agree for the most part. I do think that the businesses that provide/manage properties should be public benefit corporations or whatever the local equivalent is. Housing is an essential human need. In an ideal scenario, profit wouldn't even be a factor, but I'd settle for it not being the first priority.

[-] iknowitwheniseeit@lemmynsfw.com 2 points 1 week ago

I totally agree. In Holland we have woon corporaties, literally "companies for places to live". Of course, these have struggled in the face of decades of center right, pro-business governmental policies.

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[-] jaggedrobotpubes@lemmy.world 15 points 1 week ago

Merely a stop on the road to making it illegal like it obviously needs to be.

Let's grab lunch!

[-] Sabata11792@ani.social 10 points 1 week ago

"Here's $5000 and a week at my private ski resort. Your voting no."

[-] Badeendje@lemmy.world 8 points 1 week ago

Or here is an insider tip and make bank

[-] Sabata11792@ani.social 1 points 1 week ago

But that one is still illegal, technically.

[-] Badeendje@lemmy.world 6 points 1 week ago

Not for members of congres and Senate.

[-] match@pawb.social 5 points 1 week ago

And fully impossible to trace or prosecute

[-] Cethin@lemmy.zip 1 points 1 week ago

It is sadly only de jure illegal and not de facto illegal. It's great there exists a law in the books, but if it's not being enforced it isn't illegal in reality.

[-] dream_weasel@sh.itjust.works 5 points 1 week ago
[-] Sabata11792@ani.social 4 points 1 week ago

Here's another $1000. Everything is spelled right and grammatically correct.

[-] dream_weasel@sh.itjust.works 3 points 1 week ago

I don't do it for the money, but it helps.

[-] Rivalarrival@lemmy.today 6 points 1 week ago

Raising sales tax won't do a fucking thing. The increase needs to be on property taxes, so it recurs year after year. And it needs to apply to everyone except owner-occupants. Investors need to abandon renting as a viable business model. They can replace it with private mortgages and land contracts (contract for deed, rent to own) arrangements where the "tenant" gains equity and is considered an owner-occupant.

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this post was submitted on 25 Oct 2024
681 points (99.7% liked)

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