Statements by Fred A. Neil
1,535 statements from meeting recordings, newest meeting first.
Machine transcript. Statements are matched to this official by machine and can be wrong. Check the recording.
Jan 13, 2026, Council Committee of the Whole Meeting
When the appraiser in this case claimed the house had smoke smoke detectors and did not, you know that something radically wrong. It took an agency board 3 years to slap a small fine on the appraiser and required that the individual go back to school for more training. No one has made the homebuyer whole for the expenses that occurred that should never have happened. This is a preventative motion and I hope that this ordinance will go into effect. I yield to Councilman Rocha.
Play from 2:32:04Jan 13, 2026, Council Committee of the Whole Meeting
Yeah, basically that that's what you have. It's basically this is a preventative to make sure the person doesn't get trapped. Once you get trapped, you have your literally that your finances could be tied up. If you walk away from a deal, you basically lose your your financial credibility, and that can cost you down the down the line. I yield, Mr. Mr. Chairman.
Play from 2:35:49Jan 13, 2026, Council Committee of the Whole Meeting
Basically, um, what occurred was a cover-up through a flipper house. For those people who don't know what a flipper house is, somebody buys a house, flipped and they they haven't lived in it. And one of the disclosures that you have to do, if you live in a house, you have to admit what problems the house has. A flipper hasn't lived in the house, can say, 'I don't know any problems.' So when cosmetic, um, are cover-ups in terms of what could be there, could be, um, termite inspections, which are covered up. And I, unfortunately, had served, uh, for 35 years on a part-time basis for the Maryland State Pest Control Association, and I know all about that type of thing, what they do and how they handle it. So when a person comes into that home, and that inspection is made, only certain parts of that inspection are essential for the approval, uh, for FHA.
Play from 2:39:05Jan 13, 2026, Council Committee of the Whole Meeting
Um, you can cover up a a hole in the roof with a patch, and they can say it's been patched, but it doesn't necessarily mean that it really has been fixed. In this case, this is one of the problems that she ran into. In other cases, it was, uh, water damage that was covered up with a rug, and she could not see the water damage, and the inspector doesn't have to have that on there. But if it's listed of all the problems that are there, they didn't go over all the problems that existed, she didn't have to sign off on it, we're calling it that you have to sign off on that so that nobody can say that you did not know that the problem was there and it becomes your problem.
Play from 2:40:09Jan 13, 2026, Council Committee of the Whole Meeting
In the case of, uh, a a missing smoke detector throughout the house, she had presumed that it was there, it was they said it was there. She missed it, and basically there's nothing done about that. It's not considered fraud. So you're trying to move the area where the fraud has been committed, and that the state does not recognize it as fraud, but they say it's a civil problem, go sue. If you lose that suit, you are responsible for the legal paid off the the legal bills of the person that you're suing. So you this is just a check-off to make sure that the person sees what the problems were that were listed and that they're going to check off, 'Yes, I know it. I see it. I see it. I accept it. I accept it. Accept. Accept,' so that you have that immediate check-off before you final sign that that deal. Once you have that loan, you're committed to that loan.
Play from 2:41:12Jan 13, 2026, Council Committee of the Whole Meeting
And that has nothing to do with whether it's DSHA or or or on the open market. It covers everybody. The person with DH- DC- DSHA loan or they've got the loan for you means that you you are are in financial difficulty, you can't go onto the open market as required to come up with the money that's necessary for down payment and the like. They've got a loan for you. So it has nothing to do really with that because this law affects everybody, but it hurts the people who do not have the money and have to go to DHA to get, uh, get the loan.
Play from 2:42:06Jan 13, 2026, Council Committee of the Whole Meeting
No. In fact, all the documents that the, uh, real estate industry has is built into this. If they change it, it also is built into this. So you have to have the disclosure to begin with. Okay? But let's say you've never lived in the house, you came in and inspected, you want to clean it up and sell it. So they can honestly say, 'I don't know that there's a plumbing problem. I don't know that there was major, uh, electrical problem.' And if it is not picked up by the appraiser, who then is say saying, because that's the second report, and the second report very clearly says that if you have certain defectives defections, uh uh, uh, deficiencies that have to be corrected and aren't, you should not get the loan. And in this case, this lady basically had that. It says there they should not give that the loan, she got the loan. They gave her the loan. Why did they give her a loan when all these things were out? So this measure is basically to take that appraisals, the appraiser's report and then check off, 'I see that this is a problem and this I I don't accept it, or I do accept it,' and you understand it when you're going in to buy that house. Because you may want to go into the house and say, 'Oh, I can make the change in the locks in the house or do whatever you want.' But it basically opens it up to make sure that they understand what they're getting when they get into the...
Play from 2:44:02Jan 13, 2026, Council Committee of the Whole Meeting
us, because at that point, there's no recourse. You don't have nothing that you can do to help yourself. So, it acts as a prophylactic to prevent you from getting into trouble, to making sure you have as much information as you possibly can. But all everything that the real estate industry requires is a part of the law. That is it, and if it changes, if they say we want to do something different, it's automatically built into this ordinance so that those same protections are in there for the individual. It doesn't change any of that. It just makes sure that the person who comes in who is going to dot the right i and cross the right t or either be able to walk away before they sign the deal and get into a financial uh in trouble.
Play from 2:45:43Jan 13, 2026, Council Committee of the Whole Meeting
Well, it's the same same document that are is presented, only that the the buyer is going to have to go over it line by line and check it off. Which you don't have to do now. You don't have to touch anything. Now it says you check this off, that you know what's on that on those papers. Because she did not get the opportunity to look at those papers and to check it off, so she wasn't aware of what was happening. And this is usually the role of of the realtor, going over that information for you. This is this, this is what it is, this is what you have to do, this is when you come into settlement, and she did not have that opportunity to do that. And when she came in, there was all kinds of problems in the house that she had to repair because uh of of her kids, uh the the mold, the other type of things that that you're running into. So
Play from 2:46:51Jan 13, 2026, Council Committee of the Whole Meeting
you want to make sure that the that is done. And it isn't done, it isn't required. What- but every single paper that is required today by in the real estate industry is included in this. And so there's no change in that. There's uh the only that there's a penalty of a person who's found that it that they did not follow the the uh the the ordinance, they can't do business in the state of, in the city of Dover.
Play from 2:47:24Jan 13, 2026, Council Committee of the Whole Meeting
I move for the adoption of the-
Play from 2:50:32Jan 13, 2026, Council Committee of the Whole Meeting
Uh I move for the adoption of Ordinance 2023-14.
Play from 2:50:35Jan 13, 2026, Council Committee of the Whole Meeting
Aye.
Play from 2:51:13Jan 13, 2026, Council Committee of the Whole Meeting
Is there any other business before the council as a whole? Seeing none, this meeting is adjourned.
Play from 2:51:38Jan 7, 2026, Construction and Property Maintenance Code Board of Appeals Meeting
Uh, in other words, I understand she can have her designer fix the existing deck with fireproofing material without having to rebuild the whole thing?
Play from 14:20Jan 7, 2026, Construction and Property Maintenance Code Board of Appeals Meeting
So if it can be salvaged and doesn't have to be totally torn down and brought back up, she can have that redesigned if she goes back to her designer and and says, okay, we can't take the whole thing down. Can you save this deck? And I have to just the materials that have to be used have to be the fire-retardant materials.
Play from 14:36Jan 7, 2026, Construction and Property Maintenance Code Board of Appeals Meeting
So hypothetically she could go back to that designer—
Play from 15:59Jan 7, 2026, Construction and Property Maintenance Code Board of Appeals Meeting
Yeah, I have a question.
Play from 27:27Jan 7, 2026, Construction and Property Maintenance Code Board of Appeals Meeting
Thank you. Uh, what kind of uh police activity has been noted on this property? Do you have anything on that?
Play from 27:30Jan 7, 2026, Construction and Property Maintenance Code Board of Appeals Meeting
Unknown. You don't know how many times they've been called to the property?
Play from 27:39Jan 7, 2026, Construction and Property Maintenance Code Board of Appeals Meeting
Can't see the pictures. Thank you.
Play from 27:53Dec 9, 2025, Council Committee of the Whole Meeting
9th, 2025. I would like to remind the public that public comments are welcome on any item and will be permitted at the appropriate time. You have before you this evening's agenda, and I will entertain a motion for its adoption.
Play from 00:00Dec 9, 2025, Council Committee of the Whole Meeting
Is there a second?
Play from 00:13Dec 9, 2025, Council Committee of the Whole Meeting
And second by Councilman Rocha. All in favor, please say aye.
Play from 00:15Dec 9, 2025, Council Committee of the Whole Meeting
Any opposed? Hearing none, it's unanimously approved. Uh, first on the agenda, we have council reports and we'll start with the First District with Dr. Pillsbury.
Play from 00:18Dec 9, 2025, Council Committee of the Whole Meeting
Councilman Rocha.
Play from 01:22Dec 9, 2025, Council Committee of the Whole Meeting
Second District, Councilwoman Hall.
Play from 02:24Dec 9, 2025, Council Committee of the Whole Meeting
Okay. Third District, Councilwoman Arndt.
Play from 02:41Dec 9, 2025, Council Committee of the Whole Meeting
Oh, pardon me. Councilman Lewis, I'm sorry. Didn't realize that you were online. They said we didn't have internet. But you're on? Please, floor is yours.
Play from 02:47Dec 9, 2025, Council Committee of the Whole Meeting
Thank you, and apologies for missing you online. Now we will go to Councilman Anderson.
Play from 03:35Dec 9, 2025, Council Committee of the Whole Meeting
Oh, yeah, oh, cuz, wow, that was fast.
Play from 03:49Dec 9, 2025, Council Committee of the Whole Meeting
Councilwoman Arndt.
Play from 03:54Dec 9, 2025, Council Committee of the Whole Meeting
Thank you, Councilman Councilwoman Arndt. Dr. Sudler? Dr. Sudler's not here. We'll go to Councilman Anderson.
Play from 05:40Dec 9, 2025, Council Committee of the Whole Meeting
All right, thank you, sir. Uh, Councilman at-Large Boggerty.
Play from 07:03Dec 9, 2025, Council Committee of the Whole Meeting
I thank you, sir. Uh my report: On December 1st, at the invitation of the Central Delaware Chamber of Commerce Executive Committee for a candid discussion on the problems happening in Dover involving the individuals inflicting harm by their uncontrolled actions, I provided them with copies of the Dover Police Quality of Life Initiative as evidence and my article which has since been since been published in the Delaware State News and Bay to Beach online. I attended the Speedway Child- uh Children's Charity Luncheon, where thousands of dollars are distributed to a large number of nonprofits helping children. Along with my council colleagues, I sang my heart out wishing Merry Christmas at the December 4th tr- tree lighting presided over by His Honor the Mayor. I attended the Wild Meadows Homeowners Association community and election meeting. I conversed several times with the Delaware Manufactured Homeowners Association uh leadership in problems dealing with leased land housing. In January, I'm sponsoring an ordinance that adds the requirement of a leased land uh house, new or used, to have a title presented for a license to be placed in the community. Special thanks to Eddie Kopp for all the work that he helped uh in creating this document. Some community owners will obtain a home lacking the required DMV license and sell the home to an unsuspecting buyer. Later, the buyer discovers there's a lien against the title. I continue to work with Councilman Rocha and Councilwoman uh P- Pillsbury with the group renewing their bid to bring a civic arena/ice rink to Schutte Park. It will need legislative approval. I continue to respond to every email, and there are many, pro and con, on the traffic safety ordinance that we will be considering in January. Along with Councilman Rocha and Dover planning uh pl- a planner uh Dawn Melson-Williams, I attended a breakfast meeting this morning hosted by the Housing Alliance on Affordable Housing. And that is my report. And with that, we go to uh Chairman Tricia Arndt to conduct the business of the Parks and Recreation and Community Enhancement Committee.
Play from 10:03Dec 9, 2025, Council Committee of the Whole Meeting
Uh Madam Chair.
Play from 20:45Dec 9, 2025, Council Committee of the Whole Meeting
Uh thank you, Madam Chair. Um first off, I think they're very fortunate because they're right alongside the library and all they have to do is cross the street and there's a plethora of programs that are going to be there whether they have kids in there or not. There's a marvelous set of of of plans. And perhaps as you as envisioned in the master plan for the downtown area, the stretch alongside Mirror Lake that goes from of uh Loockerman to Division is going to be all kinds of activities if it comes to fruition. And again, they're very fortunate in the position that they're in to be able to do that. It doesn't affect what you what they have to do uh with uh our our planning and within our ordinances. But they're in a marvelous marvelous position for anybody who's looking for recreation to have it there and in future coming up. That's the only remarks I'm going to make. I yield.
Play from 20:48Dec 9, 2025, Council Committee of the Whole Meeting
I now recognize Chairman Andre Boggerty to conduct the business of the Safety Advisory and Transportation Committee.
Play from 22:57Dec 9, 2025, Council Committee of the Whole Meeting
So moved for adoption.
Play from 23:10Dec 9, 2025, Council Committee of the Whole Meeting
Uh thank you. Um it's kind of funny. Uh we're accused of not caring about traffic safety, and we have a traffic safety ordinance that's coming up that people are fighting, and they don't want they're not concerned about someone who's standing in medians getting hit and killed or injured, whatever. But we do care about this. Now, there is a delineation that is at the six-way on Governors Avenue. Basically, those things will collapse very easily. Would that be more effective? And again, it's a traffic mind that I, you know, that I think that experts can tell us. So that if a fire engine is coming down there with the delineators and they hit it, that's not going to make a difference. But if it slows down a car who really doesn't realize how flimsy they really are, or even if they do, it's just it's an indication that is a real problem more so than what we've even talked about.
Play from 59:04