Latest news with #Bordeauxs
CBS News
28-05-2025
- Business
- CBS News
Lauderdale Lakes criticizes couple facing 6-figure fines for code compliance violations caused by inspection delays
City leaders defended code compliance staff after hearing complaints about six-figure fines caused by inspection delays. "The suggestion that the city has acted improperly, has (dragged) its feet or slowed the process: not with respect to the Bordeauxs," City Attorney Sidney Calloway said at the end of Tuesday's City Commission meeting. Two weeks ago, CBS News Miami Investigates shared the complaints of Kenneth Bordeaux, 82, and his wife, Mildred, 80. They own a duplex that the couple rents. The income pays their bills and is also an asset they hope to pass to their family. However, the property faces $366,000 in liens from five violations, according to city records. Those violations included a broken window handle and a cracked electrical plate cover. The couple fixed the violations; however, it took more than 220 days for inspectors to verify those cures. The couple blamed code inspectors for the delays. "It's an absolute misrepresentation of the factual record," Calloway said during the meeting. The couple's nearly 450-page case file with the city's code compliance office has 20 violations that did not meet "minimum standards" for a dwelling, Calloway said. He said there is no evidence that staff caused delays and blamed the Bordeauxs for their months-long wait to meet compliance. Calloway also insisted the fines are justified and have nothing to do with a line in the city's adopted budget that projected a 161% increase in lien and fine collection while directing staff "...to seek strategies to reduce expenses and/or create new revenue opportunities." The Bordeauxs insist they fixed violations as quickly as they could and insist staff delays left them with a lien they cannot afford. Now, the couple is in a situation they struggle to believe. "It's going to put us both in a box," Kenneth Bordeaux said. One of the city's biggest taxpayers, Levy Realty Advisors, faces $740,000 worth of liens. Two weeks ago, their owners told CBS News Miami Investigates that staff delays caused fines to rise. The company's representatives, though, left Tuesday's meeting optimistic for two reasons. First, the city commissioners approved a deal to use OpenGov software to improve the efficiency of departments, including code compliance. Also, the city attorney invited Levy Realty Advisors and the Bordeauxs to meet with him about reducing how much they owe. Levy representatives plan to meet with the city attorney this week.
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Florida homeowners in their 80s fight city over 'mind-blowing' $366K in fines for code violations they fixed
What would you do if your city placed $366,000 in liens on your home after inspectors observed minor violations like broken window frames, cracked outlet covers and peeling paint? If you were Lauderdale Lakes residents Kenneth and Mildred Bordeaux, a Florida couple in their 80s, you'd hire a lawyer and fight back. "I feel like I'm just being beat on with a sledgehammer, and I don't understand it," Kenneth told CBS News. Thanks to Jeff Bezos, you can now become a landlord for as little as $100 — and no, you don't have to deal with tenants or fix freezers. Here's how I'm 49 years old and have nothing saved for retirement — what should I do? Don't panic. Here are 5 of the easiest ways you can catch up (and fast) Nervous about the stock market in 2025? Find out how you can access this $1B private real estate fund (with as little as $10) Their lawyer Ari Pregen says the city's actions are completely unfair. 'It's absolutely mindblowing to say 'We're going to hold your property hostage and we're not going to allow you to do what you want with your property, to pass it on to your next of kin and your loved ones, because of window cranks and plastic covers,'' he said. It all started last year when the Bordeauxs — who rent out part of their duplex to cover bills — evicted a tenant. When inspectors visited the property following the eviction, they fined the Bordeauxs for six violations, including broken window frames and handles; cracked outlet covers; peeling paint; minor interior door and wall damage; and smoke detectors needing replacement. The Bordeauxs say they promptly addressed all the issues and made the required repairs. The problem? City inspectors took 222 days to verify that the repairs had been made. Meanwhile, for every one of those 222 days, the city levied additional daily fines of $1,500 per violation — resulting in the $366,142.70 total. Read more: This is how American car dealers use the '4-square method' to make big profits off you — and how you can ensure you pay a fair price for all your vehicle costs Their attorney, Ari Pregen, said the situation is unreasonable. "You can't charge someone $65,000 for a broken window crank, $55,000 for a broken [cover] plate,' he said. The couple applied for a lien reduction, a process allowing property owners to request a lower payment on fines or fees owed to the city. Inspectors only offered a 10% reduction, meaning the Bordeauxs would have to pay more than $300,000 to remove the liens on the property, one the couple want to leave to family members. "It's just been absolutely terrible,' Kenneth Bordeaux said. CBS Miami has since discovered that other Lauderdale Lakes property owners have been hit with excessive fines and liens due to code inspection delays. The news outlet revealed that in its 2025 budget, the City of Lauderdale Lakes is counting on a 161.4% increase in revenue from fines and forfeitures compared to 2024. The Bordeauxs' lawyer notes that levying excessive fines is illegal. 'We have the excessive fines clause for a reason,' Pregen says. 'It prohibits excessive fines.' He continues to negotiate with the city — not only to lower the Bordeauxs' fines and remove the liens on their duplex, but to urge the city to change its policy to protect other homeowners in similar situations. For retired homeowners like the Bordeauxs living on fixed incomes — primarily Social Security and modest pensions — unexpected fines, fees or repair costs can be ruinous. Without sufficient savings, seniors in such situations may accumulate debt and could lose their homes. The added stress can take a toll on physical and mental health, particularly for seniors who don't have the resources to navigate complex legal and financial systems. Legal advocacy and community support can be lifelines. Homeowners facing large municipal fines should first seek legal counsel, especially pro bono services or nonprofit legal clinics that specialize in housing or elder law. Organizations such as Legal Aid or the AARP Legal Advocacy Group may offer assistance or connect individuals to local resources. Homeowners on fixed incomes who find themselves in the same predicament as the Bordeauxs should consider doing as they have done and bring media attention to the case to increase public pressure and push local governments to revise their enforcement practices or settlement offers. Homeowners can also work with housing counselors certified by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to explore options like financial hardship programs, home equity solutions or income-based repayment plans for liens, where available. Want an extra $1,300,000 when you retire? Dave Ramsey says this 7-step plan 'works every single time' to kill debt, get rich in America — and that 'anyone' can do it Rich, young Americans are ditching the stormy stock market — here are the alternative assets they're banking on instead Robert Kiyosaki warns of a 'Greater Depression' coming to the US — with millions of Americans going poor. But he says these 2 'easy-money' assets will bring in 'great wealth'. How to get in now Here are 5 'must have' items that Americans (almost) always overpay for — and very quickly regret. How many are hurting you? This article provides information only and should not be construed as advice. It is provided without warranty of any kind.
Yahoo
01-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Bordeaux is in crisis – but it's not all bad news for drinkers
Reporting from the frontline of gastronomy, the wine guru Oz Clarke posted on social media recently about a Michelin-starred restaurant whose wine list takes in, '200 champagnes; 206 wines from Burgundy and four Bordeaux. FOUR! Bordeaux really has dug a hole for itself. How is it going to dig itself out?' The anecdote neatly illustrates the crumbling power of the world's largest, and most famous, fine wine region. Bordeaux is in crisis. The venerated land around the Gironde estuary on France's Atlantic coast is home to fabled names such as Margaux, Petrus and Lafite. Yet, for many wine estates beyond this magic circle – and there are thousands of them – life is currently very difficult. Bad enough that three of the past four years were beset by rain and mildew, giving growers stress and extra work in the vineyard, then below-average yields, meaning less wine to sell. The bigger issue, though, is that bordeaux wines have fallen so far from favour that selling them is hard. In the words of one grower: 'There's a lot of gloom about.' In 2023, exports fell 12 per cent by volume, to 17.3 million cases, and 5.6 per cent by value, to €2.23 billion (around £1.65 billion), according to a report in Decanter magazine. Last year they dropped again, this time 8 per cent by value and 4 per cent by volume. The Bordeaux wine bureau, the CIVB, quite rightly points out that part of this fall can be attributed to 'a backdrop of persistent international tensions, economic slowdown and inflation. China alone accounts for more than half of the export volumes lost since 2017.' A global shift towards moderation and a move away from red wine, in particular, has also hurt a region in which the majority (80.5 per cent) of production is red. But the problems go beyond that. Huge, and complex, Bordeaux finds itself in the eye of a perfect storm. To grasp the picture, it's helpful to consider that there are really two Bordeauxs. The first, the Bordeaux of wealth and status, comprises a few dozen châteaux whose wines sell for dizzying prices. Even for this gilded set, the market is currently, some privately concede, 'difficult'. The consensus among the merchants who sell expensive bordeaux is that prices have ratcheted too high. 'For me, 2021 was the opportunity to reset the en primeur system [when new wines are sold while still in barrel],' says one seller, who asked to speak anonymously. 'That was a vintage that was not great and prices should have been lower.' For the rest of Bordeaux, those growing grapes for mid-priced and cheap wine, times are exceptionally tough. In supermarkets, claret in the key £6.50 to £9 price bracket has lost ground to bold, fruity Argentinian malbec, anything red from Chile or Portugal and Italian primitivo. Morrisons now sells more primitivo in one quarter than it does of Bordeaux Supérieur across the year, according to its wine sourcing manager Charles Paterson. More generally, Bordeaux has not successfully appealed to a new generation of drinkers or to wine nerds who instead explore high-altitude grenache, German pinot noir and so on. 'For many under 40s, bordeaux is not sexy. It's considered a bit leatherback chair, a bit gentleman's club,' says Tim Sykes, who has just completed a 12-year stint as Bordeaux buyer for The Wine Society. This slowdown in interest has led many Bordeaux property owners to go into administration or sell up. Sykes, 'got calls quite regularly from people who were stopping – grubbing up the vines, selling to a property developer, whatever [and had stock to sell]'. The CIVB is aware of these problems. Two years ago it confirmed a deal with the French government aimed at reducing oversupply, offering financial support to growers who ripped out vineyards. As the available grubbing-up budget has not been used, applications for a second wave are still open. Even so, Bordeaux's overall vineyard area today is smaller than it has been since 1985, shrinking from 108,000 hectares in 2022 to 94,600 hectares in 2024. Most vines approved for pulling up under the government scheme are in the areas of Blaye, Bourg and Entre-Deux-Mers, where a lot of cheaper wines are made, explains Gavin Quinney, a cheerful and energetic Englishman who owns a Bordeaux property, Château Bauduc. Quinney feels the grubbing-up needs to go further. 'We probably need to lose another 30 per cent of the 94,600 hectares,' he says. For drinkers, of course, there is a flip side to the doom: the upper echelons might still cost a fortune but mid-priced and inexpensive bordeaux has never been so cheap. I would go further and argue that it is one of the best value wines in the world. 'Bordeaux in the doldrums means there are deals to be done,' says Siobhán Astbury, of merchant Haynes, Hanson & Clark. 'The last five years we've come back from our annual January range-refresh trip rubbing our hands together. 'Each year the opportunities get bigger and bigger,' she continues. 'This year we're shipping 2015 Haut-Médocs – they'll be here in about three weeks – which we will sell at around £15 a bottle, as part of a case. It's incredible to be able to offer fully mature, really delicious wines at this price.' Drinkers are beginning to catch on. Sykes says Wine Society members – a relatively switched-on crowd – 'go nuts' when some parcels of wine drop: 'My successor in the Bordeaux role bought 1,000 cases of Diane de Belgrave 2016 and they sold out inside three hours.' Ultimately, of course, Bordeaux needs to be sustainable for its growers, not just drinkers who benefit from distress sales. So what is the answer? The CIVB says: 'Bordeaux has reinvented itself, and that's what we want to demonstrate and prove.' Clarke, meanwhile, thinks the region needs to remind people that red bordeaux 'is a mealtime classic' and win back the taste makers. 'It's almost as though some sommeliers have a personal vendetta against bordeaux, though the way the pricing of the top châteaux has gone since 2009 it's not surprising,' he notes. Quinney, whose own wines are listed in Rick Stein's restaurants, sees 'shards of light' in unexpected areas. One of them is white wine: 'No one's pulling white grapevines out.' Another is crémant – yes, the sparkling white wine. 'Bordeaux made 4.5 million bottles of crémant in 2021 and over 15 million in 2024. We're making it too and it's going well,' says Quinney. Perhaps it's a case of: bordeaux is dead! Long live bordeaux? On the high street, look in the Co-op, which has a brilliant range of red bordeaux. 13.5%, £25, Co-op From a beautiful vintage, and now with a bit of maturity, this is a wine very true to its appellation, in that it's based on cabernet sauvignon, polished (but not too polished) and with notes of dark fruit and cedar. Look to the Saint-Emilion 'satellites' (they have Saint-Emilion in the name but they're not Saint-Emilion itself) and to the 'Côtes' in particular, Castillon (which neighbours Saint-Emilion) and Francs. 13.5%, £14.50, The Wine Society Pliant and not too heavy, a wine made almost entirely from merlot, but with a 10 per cent dollop of cabernet franc bringing an attractive perfume. There's no oak. Find a merchant whose taste is aligned to yours and keep going back. I find a lot to like at Haynes, Hanson & Clark, which veers towards wines with a fresher, more finely delineated feel. 14%, £26.25, Haynes, Hanson & Clark 'I'm often surprised this estate isn't better known,' writes Jane Anson, in her bible, Inside Bordeaux. This vintage is drinking perfectly right now. Don't write off the very cheap wines. I taste a lot of wine under £6 and bordeaux actually performs very well against the competition. 14%, £5.85, Morrisons This wine has done so well for Morrisons that the supermarket is actually growing sales of bordeaux. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
