ATENA's 2011 Legislative Agenda

Please make sure you check out our 2011 Legislative Agenda.  It's just been updated on our website.

Since this is a dynamic document, please contact us if you have suggestions for additions to our Agenda.

Thanks.

Let's Get On With Foreclosures

Remember the Academy Award winning movie “Network”? In it, the fictional TV host Howard Beale became a ratings sensation by nightly exclaiming that he was “mad as hell and not going to take this anymore”.

Well here’s one renter who’s “mad as hell and not going to take this anymore.”

While millions of “homeowners” continue to abuse and destabilize the nation’s banking system by not making their monthly mortgage payments, renters like you and me stay current on our rent payments.

While millions of homeowners skate for months and even years without making mortgage payments and continue to live in their homes, try not paying your rent for even one month. You’d be thrown out on your ear in no time flat.

While homeowners claim to be victims of the banking system because the banks didn’t properly sign or can’t locate certain documents the basic facts remain. The banks lent them the money to buy their homes, the banks took a security interest in the property, the homeowner failed to fulfill their part of the bargain by making their monthly payments. Therefore, the banks are legally entitled to foreclose on the property and liquidate it to try to recover their investment.

Just as a renter faces eviction by not paying their rent, homeowners should face timely foreclosure for not making their mortgage payments. It’s a basic issue of fairness.

While I can feel sympathy for homeowners victimized by the current economic recession you have to remember that renters are feeling the same pinch. We’re all in the same boat.

Continuing to delay the foreclosure process by instituting foreclosure moratoriums helps no one. Let’s get these properties back on the market so credit worthy homeowners and, yes, renters can take advantage of lower home values.

Enough is enough. It’s time to end delinquent homeowners’ free rides.

"Tenant Traps"

Here's some words of rental wisdom from Janet Portman and Marcia Stewart, the authors of "Renter's Rights: The Basics."

Never agree to put up with a rental unit that lacks basic health and safety features such as heat, plumbing, hot water and weatherproofing.

Never push for repairs before figuring out whether it's a habitability problem or a minor repair.

Never delay in reporting major repair problems.

Never use a "big stick" (such as withholding rent) to prod a landlord into action without first telling them of the problem and giving them a reasonable time to fix it.

Never use a big stick if you are behind in the rent, have an unauthorized roommate, or are violating some other important tenant obligation.

Never make a big deal over a minor repair unless you are prepared for an uphill fight with your landlord.

You have a right to livable housing.  It's called the landlord's "implied warranty of habiltability".  This means your landlord has promised you a livable place simply by renting it to you.

One Couple's New American Dream - Rent Don't Buy

Check out this article which appeared on the website of National Public Radio.

Earlier this year, Mark and Joanne Cleaver faced a decision: buy or rent. In normal times, their decision would have been easy.

But these are not normal times.

"We would lose money if we bought now — even at today's market rates," Joanne says. "Frankly, condo prices would have to go down a good 30 percent more to overcome the negative effect of the transition and transaction cost."

Mark and Joanne sold their home in Milwaukee — a home they owned for 28 years — and moved to Chicago. The couple, both in their 50s, relocated for her job. And they decided to rent an apartment overlooking Lake Michigan.

"It was a tough decision," Mark says. "You have kind of the emotional baggage of wanting to continue to own a house — the 'American Dream' theory. The flip side of it is, you kind of get to give up the baggage of all the maintenance cost — and all the maintenance time that goes along with it."
"Utilities are included. Parking's included. I write my check, I'm done for the month. It's a wonderful feeling," Mark added.

"Our front porch collapsed on our Milwaukee house," Joanne adds. "It was, like, $22,000 to replace it, just to get back to having a front porch. That's a lot of money to get hit with just to be able to walk up to your house, your front door."

Mark says that when he writes his rent check every month, he thinks to himself, "This is worth every penny."

"It locks my cost in every month," he says. "I have no surprises. Utilities are included. Parking's included. I write my check, I'm done for the month. It's a wonderful feeling."

While the Cleavers are enjoying the conveniences of renting — a staffed pool, a workout room, maintenance workers — they still haven't ruled out buying again. "We'll continue to go to open houses and take a good look and see if there's something there that really absolutely hits on all those cylinders," Joanne says.
And so far the Cleavers say there is only one downside to renting: "We do miss the ability just to go out into a backyard and grill," Mark says.

But they say it's a compromise they're willing to make.
"And when winter comes, and I'm watching everyone else doing their snow shoveling and snow plowing," says Mark, "I'm going to be smiling."