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Updated: 7:46 AM Feb 26, 2010
Landlords Speak Out About Proposed Law
Landlords packed into Charleston City Council chambers on Thursday to speak out about a proposed law which would change the way they do business.
Posted: 10:38 PM Feb 25, 2010Reporter: Kallie Cart Email Address: kallie.cart@wsaz.com |
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28 Comments
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CHARLESTON, W.Va. (WSAZ) -- Landlords packed into Charleston City Council chambers on Thursday to speak out about a proposed law which would change the way they do business.
The landlord ordinance would require each landlord to register with the City of Charleston. The most contentious part of the bill would give the city the option to inspect apartments. The City hopes the bill will protect tenants and help them collect taxes and fees that are past due.
The majority of the landlords at the meeting oppose the new bill -- several got up and spoke out during a public hearing.
Landlords say the bill will only punish the landlords who already pay their taxes and abide by the rules. They say there are laws already in place that need to be enforced. Questions were also raised about the legal rights of the city to go into a person's apartment.
The city inspector, George Jarrett, says he thinks the bill will help but only if the inspections are optional.
"If they make a mandatory inspection across the board," Jarrett said. "We would be going into some very nice apartments that don't need inspected."
The bill as it stands now calls for optional inspections where there are concerns. Current law allows inspectors to enter apartments only with probably cause.
Not all are against the bill. Some landlords say it will protect their tenants and their property and that good landlords have nothing to fear.
Jarrett says the optional inspection program would require two or three additional inspectors, but he says if the inspections are mandatory at least eight inspectors would be needed plus a support staff and other resources.
City council was looking at a list of amendments to the bill on Thursday. The full council has to vote for the bill before it can become law.
Latest Comments
Posted by: Tax Evasion 101
on Feb 27, 2010 at 05:12 AM
All about $$$ (10:06am 02-25-2010)Report AbuseThe biggest reason landlords don’t want this bill to pass is because the IRS will find out that they’ve been receiving money that they haven’t claimed on their taxes. Many of the landlords/slumlords rent to undesirables for cash money only. They purchase rundown, foreclosed properties, slap a cheap coat of paint on the walls and equip the kitchens with second hand stoves and refrigerators and rent the homes for outrageous amounts of money to people who can’t qualify for home loans (because drug dealers don’t declare income like you and I have to every year) and require them to pay cash. Once this bill becomes a law they will be required to reveal all the rental properties that they currently own. Then the IRS will find out that they’ve been committing tax fraud and they will have the choice of paying high dollar penalties and back income for the rental properties or they will go to jail. That’s the reason the landlords don’t want this bill.
Posted by: HELLO!
on Feb 26, 2010 at 10:28 PM
Do you think that ANIMAL murdered Mrs. Phares because his house was a pig sty? He sick in the MIND to say the least, along with the rest of them, so if the City is so concerned, why don't they make it mandatory that BACKGROUND checks be preformed bofore RENTING! That's what we do! Our buildings are up to code, if they weren't, you'd better believe my tenants would be calling. Come on folks, these laws are already on the books.
Posted by: No Charge
on Feb 26, 2010 at 07:19 PM
I am a homeowner on the West Side and have lived here all of my life. My property has suffered a significant drop in value due to the presence of slumlords and the drug dealers they rent to (most likely CASH ONLY transactions). I will personally volunteer to be properly trained as an inspector for the City of Charleston for rental properties on my street and in my surrounding neighborhood and I will work for FREE. There slumlords---that won't cost the City a thing! I am certain there are other property owners willing to do the same if it means cleaning up the filth that has infested our neighborhoods. Thank you Charleston City Council for finally implementing a law that represents the majority and not the minority. For those landlords saying they will have to sell their properties---HALELUJAH! For those tenants that think the law will be inconvenient and intrusive—rent somewhere else. If you don’t like the rules—don’t reside in Charleston.
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