CRCBR | The Voice of Commercial Real Estate

CCP is Moving to January/February!
CRCBR announces that Commercial Certificate Program (CCP) will be held in January-February from now on. CCP will be held every Thursday from January 26 - February 23, 2006 at Pfeiffer University. Watch for registration information coming soon!

Alliance '06 Sponsorship Program Launched!
The Alliance Sponsorship program is designed to enhance member benefits through the strategic use of sponsorship opportunities. Join the ranks of other prestigious Alliance sponsors (see our 2005 sponsors on the gray sidebar of this newsletter) and participate in Alliance '06. For a printable brochure, please click here.

Benefits of CRCBR Membership
Periodically, we like to remind our members of member benefits which might be useful to them. To learn more about your membership benefits, click here.

CRCBR Continuing Education
CRCBR has several CE courses scheduled through December 2005. Don't wait until the Spring, take your CE now! You can also take one of two commercial electives on-line for CE elective credit. [More]

The next CRCBR ProNet event will be held on November 30, 2005 at Grand Central Deli & Spirits, 101 N. Tryon Street. [More]

Annual Luncheon Meeting
Mark your calendars for the Annual Luncheon Meeting, as we welcome the new 2006 CRCBR board members. The meeting will be Thursday, December 8, at the Marriott Center City. [More]

Economic Development & Planning Committee Votes on Impact Fees
You may have read in Thursday's Charlotte Observer that the city's Economic Development & Planning (ED&P) Committee voted against impact fees. What actually happened is that the five members of the committee looked at the eight initiatives regarding growth and CMS developed by the Planning Liaison Committee, and voted for the top three that they would like to pursue.

The three issues receiving the highest votes (at three each) included initiatives to: involve CMS in initiatives such as the GDPs, evaluate standards and ordinances that may unnecessarily increase the cost of school development, and fiscal accountability and cost containment of school construction.

With two votes each increased funding (impact fees and transfer taxes) (Carter and Lochman) and school site reservations in relationship to zoning petitions did not make the cut. An adequate public facilities ordinance and an overlay for school site construction also did not make the cut.

We are expecting the full city council to take this up at their November 28 council meeting. One of two things could happen: they could approve the ED&P Committee recommendation or they could revote on each issue. John Lassiter, ED&P chair, will be asking for support of the ED&P recommendation.

Please contact Charlotte City Council members before November 28 and urge them to support the ED&P recommendations. Thank Lassiter, Tabor and Cannon for their votes in support of our industry.

November 2005 "Eye on the Hill" is Available
The November 2005 "Eye on the Hill" article is now available. The November 2005 issue of "Eye on the Hill" focuses on changes in federal tax law that have been proposed by the Advisory Panel on Tax Reform. For a printable copy of "Eye on the Hill", click here.

Tax Reforms Opposed by NAR Board of Directors
NAR formally opposes proposals made by President Bush's Tax Reform Panel. NAR believes certain items would cause real estate values to drop and would not have a good effect on the nations economy. [More]

Affordable Health Insurance for Small Businesses
NAR supports legislation proposed by the U.S. Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee chair. The legislation will help small business provide affordable insurance for its employees. [More]

Rising Costs Causes Problems for Real Estate Developers
Some real estate developers have had to delay or cancel construction projects on some office buildings due to rising costs in the real estate industry. [More]

House Passes Bill to Restrict Eminent Domain
The U.S. House of Representatives passed legislation on Nov. 3 on a vote of 376-38 to withhold federal economic development funds for two years from state and local governments that seize private property for commercial use. The bill, H.R. 4128, was a reaction to the recent Supreme Court decision in Kelo v. N

NAR's new policy on eminent domain would restrict the federal government's involvement in eminent domain issues, and emphasizes that any government taking of property should be for a real public use. CONTACTS: Russell Riggs - 202-383-1259, Samuel Whitfield - 202-383-1131. To read the policy statement, click here.

NAR Action Center for Commercial Interests
NAR needs your help urging Congress to pass legislation that benefits commercial real estate professionals. The Action Center run by NAR's Government Affairs Staff and the RCA have created a special section for commercial interests. Keep up to date on key issues and their progress with the Commercial Issues Tracker. To view the Commercial Issues Tracker, click here.

Procuring Cause Not Needed for Commission Claim
A trial court improperly cited a state requirement that a brokerage show procuring cause before it can claim a commission for a commercial lease transaction, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit ruled. The court sent the case back to the trial court for a determination of whether the brokerage had a contractual right to recover its commission. For a summary of the case in the Letter of the Law, click here.

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The Voice
The Voice is an electronic publication of the Charlotte Region Commercial Board of REALTORS®. It is published every first and third Monday of the Month.

If you have any information that you would like to submit for The Voice, please send all information to Crissy Strickland at Crissy@crcbr.org.