June 11, 2011

48 Mason Street transfer???



  1. November  2, 2005, City of Worcester sells 48 Mason Street to Mason Winfield (bk 37717/pg 51) for 66,853.   
  2. January 10, 2006, Mason Winfield deeds 48 Mason Street to minority partner, Common ground for $10 (bk 38185/pg 55),but the deed is dated November 5, 2005.
  3. Why did they do this?  Since Common Ground  is a non-profit they  do not have to pay back and of the clean-up grants from the EPA.  Believe the grant was in the $300,000 range.
  4. May 6, 2011. Common Ground deeds 48 Mason Street back to Mason Winfield for $10 (bk 47367/pg 3), but the deed is dated November 5, 2005.
    Is it just me or does anyone else think this is wrong.    On November 2, 2005, the two deeds are signed one from Mason Winfield to Common Ground for $10 and the other from Common Ground back to Mason Winfield for $10 to be recorded after the EPA signs off.    This was clearly done to avoid having to pay the $300,000.  


    Hold the phone.    This property was never really in Common Ground's name since both deeds are dated November 5, 2005.     I believe (need to check with a lawyer) but the date on the deed is what counts not when they are recorded.    This grant needs to be paid back since Mason Winfield has in fact been the owner the whole time.  






    11 comments:

    jahn said...

    This gets you know whose name out of the bloggers cross hairs and the boot of the city code dept is now on the throats of the new owner(s).

    And then there's the issue of 48 Mason Sts continued precipitous drop in assessed value. And supposedly there's a new, more aggressive sheriff in town.....MMMMMMMM....interesting

    Here's a few assessed value comparisons I was able to pull up on land values in the immediate 48 Mason St area. Please keep in mind 48 Mason St. is 25x times the size of most of these other parcels of land. Also no 2 parcels are 100% comparable, but you'll get the idea of what certainly seems like a very, very, very low assessment on 48 Mason St

    As'd value Sq Ft'age

    48 Mason St $79,000 50,000

    1 Mason Ct $29,000 2,000

    2 Mason Ct. $30,000 2,000

    4 Mason ct $30,000 2,000

    6 Mason Ct $30,000 2,000

    50 Mason St $37,000 2,500

    52 Mason St $37,000 2,500


    If I own property on Mason St, I am asking for a huge abatement next year. It's too late for this year.

    ANd i have a double saw buck if anyone thinks the new owners are going start dev'ing there anytime soon.....if ever.

    Alos note, if I have the correct address, part or all of teh duplex WGC built opposite 48 Mason St is now bank owned. Hey there Bwaaarney......any Fannie or Freddie Home Funds out on that site?

    Steve Foley said...

    Note: Deed was recorded in January of 2006, not 2005.

    My understanding is that the date of the sale is the date that the documents were signed. There is no requirement to record the documents. That only protects the buyer's interest.

    But.... If you get a delivery of Guinness, and I buy a case the same day, you still owned the (excellent) product, even though it was not for a full day.

    I don't think there's anything wrong with an entity buying and selling a property the same day. It happens all the time.

    Bill Randell said...

    Steve

    i made the correction.

    There is nothing wrong with buying and selling the same property on the same day? I know that !!! Who doesn't??? The question is...

    What if you sell a property to a non-profit entity on one day and sell it back on the same day, but pocket the 2nd deed for 5 years so you can apply for free money from the government under the auspices that the property is owned by the non-profit when it is not?

    How does that underlying non-profit apply for free monies for a property for which they have already signed a deed back giving up ownership, but the deed has not been recorded?

    Bill Randell said...

    Bottom line is how can an entity apply for free monies in a property that they never truly owned when they deeded it back to the other entity on the same day that they supposedly took title.

    signman said...

    what amazes me is at our meeting their whole board..lawyers and all found nothing wrong with
    this... Bill ask the lawyer on the WCG board if it okay...
    Their president said they did it just to get the money to clean the property....

    Bill Randell said...

    These are tax-payer's monies that are basically being stolen. We are not talking a couple hundred dollars. We are talking $300,000 bucks.

    Mason Winfield is not a non-profit company and they should be forced to pay back these monies juts like any other for profit company getting EPA clean-up funds.

    The more I think about this tax-payers should be furious over things like this.

    Steve Foley said...

    So did someone who didn't own the property apply for or receive the grant?

    That sounds like fraud.

    Bill Randell said...

    Steve

    Exactly!! Worcester Common Ground applied for the EPA grant,something like 300,000.

    Since they are a non-profit they don't need to pay it back. During the time of application and clean-up, however, it seems to me that it looks like there was a pocket deed that was merely being hold back that had the property going back to the for profit corporation.

    Steve Foley said...

    Does the EPA have a reward for whistleblowers?

    Jahn said...

    Ok, so who is going to pay the $300 per day fine for dumping fill w/o a special permit or a building permit. Answer: No one b/c the city has not done their job on this issue

    Last I knew you couldnt truck in dirt unless you were by building with applicable permits or you applied to the ZBA for a special permit to dump fill.

    I have read at least 2 diff stories in the T&G a number years ago where property owners were cited and prosecuted for type of violation, including calling the cops and the building commissioner to the site.

    Ohhhhhh....one other small item. Ho wmuch was paid for that land when it was bought from the city in 2005?. If the current for profit owners eventually have to sell thsi land, I assume they get to keep the profit (if any?) which profit is the direct result of the pollution clean up with free tax dollars.

    Jahn said...

    Dont you have to present your self as the registered owner ...(as in Registry of Deeds).....of property in Worcester before you can obtain a permit to delegate excavation work to a 3rd party environmental clean up contractor?

    Per, Building code and or zoning ordinance?