Are there any war veterans out there who'd like a free condo?

A developer has been trying to give one away, but he's not having much luck. Veterans' organizations don't want to get involved. (Minneapolis Star Tribune)

Comments

[American Veteran]

I have a friend who lives in the Cities.
I just emailed him and asked if he wants to borrow my discharge.lol

BTW-Where were all the fucking pretty ribbons when we were in/came home from Nam?

[thomas]

10-4 American Veteran!!!

[Notch Johnson]

Sounds like they couldn't sell the condo and are looking for a way to donate it for the tax write-off.

[Tom Weidermeijer]

Is there a catch that I'm not seeing?

[behindbj]

Tom,

I beleive there are many "catches":

1. Property Taxes
2. Transportation/Location (it's apparently a luxury condo complext not in a downtown area - perhaps there's nothing there, like shopping or jobs)
3. Condo fees
4. Access to services (medical, psychological, local VA/services support centers)

And so on - you get the point.

I completely understand where the groups who refused the condo are coming from. It's like the help offered vs. the help needed after a natural disaster. An aid group would do inifinitely more good with $20,000 than they would do with the donation of a $20,000 car or $20,00 worth of clothes they might not need.

The veteran's groups are leveraging cash for maximum benefit. The price of that one condo, if donated in cash, could renovate 20-30 existing homes in which veterans already live to make them wheelchair (or otherwise) accessible.

I tend to agree with some of the commenters below the article (since this whole mess reminds me of the townhome development near me what was only half-built when the bubble burst): Instead of giving it away themselves or auctioning it off and donating the proceeds to a veteran's group, they wanted to ensure that they could use it as a tax write off (and now for free publicity - "Those NICE MEN, I wonder if there are other condos there I could purchase.")

But, then again, I have been feeling rather cynical lately.

[johnjohn]

I am a survivor of a thousand psychic wars..... does that count?