Comments on: Mellow, Laidback Beats and Deep Thoughts http://b.rox.com/2006/07/30/mellow-laidback-beats-and-deep-thoughts/ Life in the Flood Zone Fri, 21 Nov 2008 10:39:30 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6 By: Mid-City Neighborhood Organization » Blog Archive » Landlords http://b.rox.com/2006/07/30/mellow-laidback-beats-and-deep-thoughts/#comment-33458 Mid-City Neighborhood Organization » Blog Archive » Landlords Mon, 31 Jul 2006 21:19:24 +0000 http://b.rox.com/archives/2006/07/30/mellow-laidback-beats-and-deep-thoughts/#comment-33458 [...] My part of Mid-City seems to have two types of absentee landlords: bad and worse. The worse landlords have not done much to their properties since the flood, except to gut them. They are nowhere near habitable. The bad landlords have “fixed up” their properties and rented them out. However, whether they are truly habitable or not is another question. The people across the street from me have no electricity. The people around the corner have no gas (and thus no hot water). Note that these tenants are paying rent, and at rates typically double what they paid pre-Katrina. Note also that these tenants are hard-working people without disposable income, and often without a strong command of the English language. Is it legal to charge rent for a place without basic utilities? What can we do to deal with these landlords and help out our neighbors? [...] [...] My part of Mid-City seems to have two types of absentee landlords: bad and worse. The worse landlords have not done much to their properties since the flood, except to gut them. They are nowhere near habitable. The bad landlords have “fixed up” their properties and rented them out. However, whether they are truly habitable or not is another question. The people across the street from me have no electricity. The people around the corner have no gas (and thus no hot water). Note that these tenants are paying rent, and at rates typically double what they paid pre-Katrina. Note also that these tenants are hard-working people without disposable income, and often without a strong command of the English language. Is it legal to charge rent for a place without basic utilities? What can we do to deal with these landlords and help out our neighbors? [...]

]]> By: Dave http://b.rox.com/2006/07/30/mellow-laidback-beats-and-deep-thoughts/#comment-33401 Dave Mon, 31 Jul 2006 04:47:43 +0000 http://b.rox.com/archives/2006/07/30/mellow-laidback-beats-and-deep-thoughts/#comment-33401 Some friends of mine paid full rent on a place in Mid-City from late December to late March. The slumlord they were renting from never got the electricity turned on in all that time, despite having said it would be two weeks. After three months of no power, my friends called a lawyer. He told them that it wasn't legal, that the landlord was violating the Warranty of Habitability by not providing electricity. (I just looked this term up and the most concise definition I found was this: "a warranty of habitability obligates landlords to make repairs necessary to make a rental property habitable and empowers tenants to sue for injunctive relief if the landlord fails to make repairs.") However, the lawyer advised my friends to break their lease and move out rather than try to fight the landlord, citing the costs involved. I'm not a lawyer; I'm just relaying what I heard from my friends. I hope it helps. Some friends of mine paid full rent on a place in Mid-City from late December to late March. The slumlord they were renting from never got the electricity turned on in all that time, despite having said it would be two weeks.

After three months of no power, my friends called a lawyer. He told them that it wasn’t legal, that the landlord was violating the Warranty of Habitability by not providing electricity. (I just looked this term up and the most concise definition I found was this: “a warranty of habitability obligates landlords to make repairs necessary to make a rental property habitable and empowers tenants to sue for injunctive relief if the landlord fails to make repairs.”)

However, the lawyer advised my friends to break their lease and move out rather than try to fight the landlord, citing the costs involved.

I’m not a lawyer; I’m just relaying what I heard from my friends. I hope it helps.

]]> By: Chad http://b.rox.com/2006/07/30/mellow-laidback-beats-and-deep-thoughts/#comment-33376 Chad Sun, 30 Jul 2006 21:01:54 +0000 http://b.rox.com/archives/2006/07/30/mellow-laidback-beats-and-deep-thoughts/#comment-33376 Not it's not legal for them to be charged rent in a place that isn't able to have a/c as far as I know. In this heat, I don't know how anyone can manage without air :(. Hope you are doing well. Not it’s not legal for them to be charged rent in a place that isn’t able to have a/c as far as I know. In this heat, I don’t know how anyone can manage without air :(.

Hope you are doing well.

]]> By: polly http://b.rox.com/2006/07/30/mellow-laidback-beats-and-deep-thoughts/#comment-33360 polly Sun, 30 Jul 2006 17:06:06 +0000 http://b.rox.com/archives/2006/07/30/mellow-laidback-beats-and-deep-thoughts/#comment-33360 MY thoughts-- You lie! it really was you that played the Billy Joel on the jukebox [loved that blog/story!]. You just want Ashley & Co. to share their ganja.... MY thoughts–
You lie! it really was you that played the Billy Joel on the jukebox [loved that blog/story!].

You just want Ashley & Co. to share their ganja….

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