Archive for the ‘fair housing’ Category

Dallas woman fuming over smoking neighbor at complex

Wednesday, September 30th, 2009

I am pretty sure this lady is a jerk.  smoking neighbor

I am not a smoker and I have some sympathy for the desire to get rid of smoking in restaurants.  I think trying to get rid of it in bars is a little silly – even if I do enjoy smoke free bars.

But saying you are so sensitive to smoke that it is a crime for your neighbor to do it – well you just slipped over into crazy land.  Especially a jerky move considering she re-signed the lease while this was going on.

If you are so sensitive to smoke that you have to wear a respirator because YOUR NEIGHBOR is smoking – you should not be in a townhome.  You need to be somewhere where you are under more constant supervision by medical personnel.

For what it is worth, it appears that she isn’t going to win.

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New Foreclosure Rights in Federal Law

Saturday, July 11th, 2009

The President signed into a law a bill (Protecting Tenants in Foreclosure Act)that provides protection for tenants living in foreclosed buildings .

These provisions immediately went into effect and are “self-executing,” so no federal agency is responsible for making them work.  It is up to advocates to make sure that tenants, landlords, public housing authorities, courts, the legal community, and others involved in the foreclosure process are aware of these new rights for tenants.

Click here for sample letters and notices.

If you have more questions you can contact

Austin Tenants Council

or

Texas Tenants’ Union
4228 Main Street Dallas, TX 75226
Telephone: 214.823.2733

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Austin veteran not allowed to hang flag at apartment

Monday, July 6th, 2009

Story here

You may have already heard about this one. A veteran living at Village At Gracy Farms was told that he isn’t allowed to hang a US flag from his balcony.  He pulled it off the balcony and hung it on his wall.  He was told that he had to move it again since it could be seen through his window.

I’m a veteran but I am actually a little torn about this one.  It definitely seems ridiculous that he can’t fly his flag, but you can imagine it would definitely be an issue if everyone hung things on their balcony.  Fair Housing laws would probably make it very difficult to limit what could be displayed if you allowed anything to be displayed.

Although, I don’t know what could be the excuse for not letting him display it indoors.  I’m sure plenty of decorations can be seen on walls of many apartments and I am very skeptical his lease prohibits things from being seen through a window.

Needless to say…this is attracting a lot of attention.  I’m pretty curious to see where it goes.

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Laws that affect apartment owners and renters

Wednesday, March 11th, 2009

House Bill 2824 Helps Tenants Appealing an Eviction

Rep. Elliott Naishtat of Austin has filed House Bill 2824 in the Texas House of Representatives. If passed, this bill would require a court to appoint a lawyer to represent a tenant who has filed a pauper’s affidavit in an appeal of an eviction judgment.

House Bill 2427 Addresses Tenant-Landlord Issues

Rep. Joe Deshotel of Beaumont has filed House Bill 2427 in the Texas House of Representatives. This bill addresses a number of tenant-landlord issues including:

  • A tenant’s right to terminate a lease without penalty due to job loss or violent crime;
  • Amounts owed to a landlord if a tenant terminates a lease early without cause;
  • When a landlord may enter a rental unit;
  • When a landlord may report a debt to a credit reporting agency;
  • Evictions;
  • Reimbursement of utility services if the landlord uses a tenant’s electricity; and
  • No discrimination based on a tenant’s source of income.

Call your state representative to let him/her know your thoughts on the proposed legislation. Find out who represents you.

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Jefferson Center Apartments gets sued by the Federal Government

Thursday, March 5th, 2009

According to KXAN news, a lawsuit claims JPI Construction and six affiliates built housing complexes in Texas and other states that were inaccessible to people with disabilities. A complaint filed this week in Dallas contends JPI and the other companies did not design or construct units and common areas that complied with the Fair Housing Act.

The lawsuit said the problems include steeply sloped routes, inaccessible steps and curbs, narrow doors and hallways, plus kitchens and bathrooms without enough floor space. The lawsuit seeks to require the companies to modify the complexes and bring them into compliance with federal laws. It also seeks monetary damages.

No, EverythingAustinApartments.com has no relationship with this apartment complex.  That appears to be a good thing since people who aren’t handicapped don’t like it there either.  Jefferson Center Apartments ratings (32 percent recommend it) and another one (zero percent recommend it).

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Your Foreclosure Rights

Tuesday, March 3rd, 2009

Here  is a report about the rights a renter has in the event the owner goes into foreclosure

Without Just Cause (pdf)

Texas info starts on page 103.  The quick and dirty is if your landlord goes into foreclosure and the buyer wants you out…you have 30 whole days to move out.  Kind of sobering.

If you have more questions you can contact

Austin Tenants Council

or

Texas Tenants’ Union
4228 Main Street Dallas, TX 75226
Telephone: 214.823.2733

Posted in fair housing, laws | No Comments »