Columns

by Phil Querin
  Question:  I am wondering if you can tell me how to get rid of an abandoned vehicle in our community? I have legally evicted some tenants from an owner owned home. They finally left, but I need to know how to get rid of the vehicles they left behind.    
by Phil Querin
Question:  Can you evict for no cause in an RV park on a month-to-month rental agreement?    
by MHCO
In today’s highly competitive rental market, effective advertising is crucial to attracting the right renters. But for these very same reasons, your advertising and marketing practices can get you into fair housing hot water. The advertising media you select and the message you craft may be illegally exclusive. While it can be direct and…
by Phil Querin
  Question:  We have sub-metered water and are sending tenants monthly water bills. May I charge them a late fee for failure to pay the bill on time? If so, how do I go about notifying them?    
by MHCO
Question:  Your community allows residents to reserve the common room for parties and other social activities, including Christmas and Hanukkah celebrations. A resident asks if he can reserve the room to host a pagan celebration to mark the winter solstice. Must you grant his request?      
by Phil Querin
  Question: We are trying to send an eviction notice to a tenant who will not keep their pet inside; it is consistently defecating in a neighbor’s yard. I am confused about which MHCO form to use. I don’t wish to levy a fine[1] as they have already received a citation from the city. The 30-Day eviction for continuing violations (No. 43 seems to…
by Bill Miner
Editor's Note:  In 2019 the Oregon Legislature made changes to mediation for Oregon Community owners and residents.  At the time time we published 17 Q&As for MHCO members by Bill Miner, Davis Wright Tremaine.  Here is a re-visit of an article published earlier.  
by MHCO
  HUD recently announced that it has approved a Conciliation/Voluntary Compliance Agreementbetween the Housing Authority of Maricopa County, in Mesa, Ariz., and one of its residents who has a mental health disability. Under the agreement, the housing authority will pay $10,000 to the tenant and provide fair housing training for its employees who…
by Phil Querin
  Question: We have a tenant who physically assaulted one of our Managers, creating an unsafe condition for numerous tenants. Police were called. Tenant was arrested and transported to a hospital for observation. Since her arrest she remains in a facility.  How should we handle this - 24-hour notice or 30-day notice?    Also, how do we serve…
by Phil Querin
Question: What can the landlord do when water is obviously leaking from one of the resident’s homes? And what if the leak is less obvious, e.g. from under the home?