The “Spector” of Skullduggery
My Examiner colleague Adam Meister tracks the absurdities of the Baltimore City Council with the doggedness of a bloodhound. Yesterday, Adam reported:
It appears that if the amendment in question passes that there will be even more development in Federal Hill brought to us by HarborView Properties.
On Thursday BILL 08-0117 passed its hearing thanks to a vote from HarborView
resident and 5th District (and HarborView is NOT in the 5th district) city
councilwoman Rikki Spector.
You see in Baltimore citythere is no requirement to actually live in your district, all you need to do is merely maintain an address. Spector lives with her boyfriend in a 1,600 square foot Habor View condo with a plumb view of the Inner Harbor. The 5th District covers northwest Baltimore, and Harbor View is clearly not in the 5th District.
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Spector has claimed that she can vote on matters involving Harbor View before the city council because she has no financial interest in Harbor View.
In the words of Lee Corso: “Not so fast my friend!”
The Baltimore City Paper uncovered court documents, which reveal Spector does have a financial interest in Harbor View.
An agreement filed in Circuit Court land records, dated Feb. 20, gives Spector the right to live in a one-bedroom condominium at Harborview, Unit 1109, until she dies, at no charge (except for her phone bills).
Currently she lives with Oscar Brilliant in Unit 2003, a two-bedroom condo assessed at $600,000. Brilliant (through a corporation peopled by his kids, Brilliant Associates) owns that and a one-bedroom unit on the 11th floor. If Oscar dies before Rikki does, “Rikki shall move into Unit No. 1109 within forty-five (45) days after the death of Oscar, or within 15 days of Unit No. 1109 being available for occupancy,” according to the agreement. “Brilliant [Associates] shall be responsible for payment of Rikki’s reasonable moving expenses to relocate to the one bedroom unit, and also be responsible for the cost of repairing and repainting the unit prior to Rikki’s relocation.”
“The parties hereto agree that all of the furniture in Unit No. 2003 is the sole property of Rikki with the exception of the items which Oscar brought with him when he moved in as well as any of his personal belongings.”
The agreement explicitly states that Spector has no ownership interest in the condos, but– “Rikki shall have the right to exclusively use and occupy Unit No. 1109until her death, remarriage, cohabitation with a non-related member of the opposite sex, cohabitation with a member of her family or in the event she does not occupy the premises for ninety (90) consecutive days. . . . During the term of Rikki’s use and occupancy of Unit No. 1109 Brilliant shall be solely responsible for payment of all reasonable expenses related to use of the unit. These expenses shall include but not be limited to condo fees, insurance, real estate taxes, gas and electric, cable television, water and sewer, any metropolitan charges, repairs and maintenance. Provided, however, that Rikki shall be solely responsible for the telephone bill at the residence.”
So, Spector has an 1,100-square-foot, $360,000 waterside condo with a garage space to use for free for the rest of her life, all expenses paid. Taxes go up? Not for her. BGE raises electric rates? Rikki doesn’t pay. Comcast gouges city residents on their cable? How would Spector know—she never sees that bill! Stove breaks? Rikki gets a new one for free.
With that sweetheart deal no wonder Spector thought she could wilfully disobey a lawful order then use her position on the council to have her ticket abated.
