The Radcliffe-owned apartment building at 83 Brattle St. is a prime example of such an uncertain situation.
The building is recorded in Harvard's list of properties under the restricted faculty classification, meaning that only faculty members can live in the apartments. 83 Brattle St. is a tax-exempt property, listed on the assessor's rolls as a dormitory.
Moulton said 83 Brattle is restricted housing for married students. But a check of the 1973 City of Cambridge Street Listing Guide shows that 18 women and 2 men reside in the building, and a review of the Harvard directory of faculty and students shows most of the residents are unmarried teaching fellows.
Moulton said the apartment building is in a "transition state," but had no explanation for its listing as restricted to faculty.
The Crimson investigation uncovered several other inconsistencies between Cambridge and Harvard records. Harvard owns property at either 8 or 10 Traill St., for example, but the city has no record that Harvard paid taxes on that property.
Richard E. Neustadt, professor of Government, lives in the Harvard-owned Traill St. house, and three other people, who have no connection with the University, live at the adjoining property. A check by Moulton of the Harvard tax bill for 1972 showed that the University paid taxes on the Traill St. property.
According to the directory of faculty and students, Neustadt lives at 10 Traill St. 8 and 10 Traill St. formerly were one piece of property which covered 26,000 square feet.
A similar address inconsistency exists at 5 Hubbard Park Road. Harvard lists a property at 7 Hubbard Park; Moulton said only one property exists on the site and that the numbers are interchangeable.
John M. McGuire, professor of Law emeritus, lives in the house. It is listed as a restricted faculty residence.
Mixed Use
Another house, 14 Scott St., is listed two different ways by the University. In the list compiled by Daly's office, 14 Scott St. is recorded as "mixed use" housing, not restricted to either faculty or students. But in the list presented to the Rent Control Board, the same address is under the faculty housing classification, thus qualifying for a rent control exemption.
Moulton again had no explanation for the discrepancy, but acknowledged that there could be errors in the lists.
One of the University's new acquisitions fits into a category all its own. The penthouse atop 29 Garden St., the building which was formerly the Hotel Continental, is now occupied by Walter J. Leonard, special assistant to President Bok.
Leonard is another example of the University philosophy that faculty and administrators should live close to the Harvard-Radcliffe area. According to Hall, however, Leonard pays equitable rent for his penthouse. "If they asked me if I wanted to live there, I wouldn't pay the rent," Hall said.
A few faculty members and administrators said they would not live in Harvard-owned houses because they would feel uncomfortable with the University playing the dual role of employer and landlord.
Harvard, in fact, has come to a crossroads in its expansion program. The Bok Administration must decide whether to continue its role as one of Cambridge's biggest residential landlords or to sell its properties. Both Hall and Daly admit that Harvard intends to sell the houses at market value, which will mean substantially more revenue for Harvard than under the present arrangement.
The University could increase its revenue and maintain ownership by raising the rents. But it appears Harvard will retain firm control over the properties whatever choice it makes, because the divestiture plan includes a re-purchase agreement.
Despite the public appearance of returning properties to the Cambridge community, therefore, the University's divestiture plan places Harvard in the role of puppet landlord--pulling the strings behind the private owners.