HomeMy WebLinkAbout1977 05-12 Tenants back own "rights" bill DISPATCH 4 (E) 1Aa
Tenants back
By SCOTT CARLSON whose landlord is not meeting his
Staff Writer existing obligations."
Cracking ceiling plaster, sinks UNDER THE BILL a tenant
that wouldn't work, no hot water could begin repairs,if the landlord
until late at night, sometimes no refuses to make them, and to de-
heat, other times room tempera- duct his out-of-pocket expenses
tures of up to 100 degrees and dog from the rent. The tenant would
excrement in the hallways. be able to deduct for repairs up to
When Eva Baciak moved into a a maximum two months' rent in
Maplewood apartment building. -any calendar year.
formerly called the Maplewood Baciak's story is living testimo-
Heights Apartments, about a year ny that perhaps safeguards for
and a half ago she had no idea that tenants are not foolproof. Her
she would encounter these and Problems at the old Maplewood
other problems. Heights Apartments, now under a
different name and management,
RECTIFYING THE problems were numerous.
came slowly. Sometimes nothing From Oct. 6 to 11, 1975, the
was done. room temperature reached 100
The events finally culminated degrees in Baciak's apartment.
last spring when Baciak sued Ven- Then intermittently throughout
ture Realty in Ramsey County the following winter she had no
Municipal Court and was awarded heat.
a$400 judgment. Baciak had to pick up her mail
Even with the court victory,Ba- at the post office because the
ciak still has not received her mailboxes at the apartment build-
•
$400. In addition she still has been mg were broken.
At one point the kitchen stove
unable to obtain her $75 damage
deposit. was not working. At another time
Looking back on it all, Baciak the ceiling light fixture short-cir-
indicates that her encounters at
cuited. Floor tile buckled and
the Maplewood Heights Apart- cracked.
ments were a nightmare. HOT WATER was not available
"The place was a complete to her from 8 a.tp.to 10 p.m.from
pigsty,"she said."It was unbeliev- December, 1975, to May, 1976. At
able." one point the apartment building's
THEREFORE, it was under- hot water heaters were red-tagged
standable that when a"repair and by the city ofs Maplewood.w
deduct" bill designed to protect Although she was angry at the
apart-
tenants' rights d was introduced in former management of the the Minnesota legislature this ses- thmenti,Baciak was also upset with
k
sion that Baciak would be one of Maplewoode cty of Maplewood. "I ofththe
the first people to testify in its shares a lot the
behalf. guilt because they have seen fit
"We just really desperately not to establish a housing code,"
she said.
need this repair and deduct bill,"
t
Baciak said."At least this gives us "What it boils downto is oho
doing "
(the tenants)a fighting chance. Maplewood is not its job,
"We're not asking them (the she owesaid.
landlords) to remodel and Hovrever, if the "repair and
ao she continued. "Just deduct" bill passes in the legisla-
fix what is here and do a good job ture,tenants like Eva Baciak may
of it."
In a memorandum to the Min-
nesota Senate Judiciary Commit-
tee, Sen. William Luther, DFL-
Brooklyn Park, said the "repair
I and deduct bill' provides the
tenant with a remedy if his land-
lord refuses to make certain re-
pairs expressly promised or to
maintain the premises in compli-
ance with Minnesota Statute
504.18.
"This bill in no way increases a
landlord's obligation," Luther, the
chief sponsor,stated. "It is direct-
ed exclusively at providing an ad-
remedy to the to
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