Posted on 12/27/2018 9:51:32 AM PST by bgill
With slews of tent encampments in a fast-growing city flush with tech-sector cash, it’s tough questioning Seattle’s serious problem with homelessness and affordable housing. But an unprecedented new city law — forbidding landlords from checking into potential renters’ criminal past — is very much in dispute and setting up a closely-watched court battle. Landlords argue their free speech, property rights and possibly their safety is being jeopardized by a law that forces them to close their eyes to relevant public information about possible tenants. They’re backed by landlord groups and background screeners who call the ordinance a perilous precedent. The “Fair Chance Housing Act” was anything but that, according to landlords’ lawyers. Ethan Blevins, an attorney at the Pacific Legal Foundation, said the law’s premise “is this paternalistic idea that the city gets to decide what information is relevant or important to a landlord’s decision making process.”
(Excerpt) Read more at marketwatch.com ...
A clear violation of the 1st amendment freedom of assembly clause.
This was my thought. I had an experience as a landlord and we subscribed to a credit check online. I do not see how the city would find out about this except that when a person is rejected for a “bad” credit report, they have the right to see the report themselves — so that they can correct it for the next time a check is run. They will only know that the landlord chose to rent to someone with a better score, which they cannot find due to the privacy statutes associated with this industry. The landlord can include the criminal check but seeing this does not mean that the applicant was rejected for this part of the check. I would simply write that someone else was selected and part of the reason was the credit check.
One thing though, the landlord needs to offer the unit at a price that is attractive enough to get multiple applicants, but landlords should know this already.
One time I rented to someone who did not pay rent, but they had a parent who countersigned and promised to pay if their kid did not. When they tenant stopped paying the father said he was no longer responsible and I should sue him. I had not thought of this possibility, and a law suit was less desirable than simply evicting the tenant. But I should have trusted the credit report which was bad in the first place.
One day they will prohibit banks from checking on your ability to repay the loan. The bank will just have to assume you have the assets you either claim or not and lend you the money either way.
When I am forced to pay $9000 - $12000 per year in property taxes or the government is going to take my property, then the answer is no, I don’t own it.
The whole idea of credit scoring will be outlawed as RAAAAAACIST.
The landlords will just ignore the law and do it anyway.................
There’s also an equal protection argument in that the law is prohibiting a discrete class of citizens from accessing what’s otherwise public information.
I own seven rentals. This year I had two different renter’s wives end up in prison from using drugs and all the crimes that go with that. It devastated me. I lost more than a year’s rent on each house, due t damage and eviction costs. I still have to make all the tax, insurance and mortgage payments. From now on, I will do a background check.
Both families were formerly “middle” class Caucasians. Incidentally, no problems with the black couples or the mixed race couple.
“One day they will prohibit banks from checking on your ability to repay the loan.”
That was the exact situation for real estate purchases a decade ago all driven by leftists wanting to increase minority home ownership. “No job? No income? No savings? Bad credit score? No collateral? NO PROBLEM!!”
“One day they will prohibit banks from checking on your ability to repay the loan.”
That was the exact situation for real estate purchases a decade ago all driven by leftists wanting to increase minority home ownership. “No job? No income? No savings? Bad credit score? No collateral? NO PROBLEM!!”
I think current finance, if on any watch lists, etc, is limit.
Wouldn’t this be a First Amendment issue...telling you that you don’t have the freedom to associate with those of your choosing?
LOL.
You lost that right about 75 years ago.
When was the last time you saw a sign in a store with
“We reserve the right to refuse service to anyone” ?
It will probably only be enforced for conservative landlords.
What are REITs?
So now, in Seattle, for all you know the new next-door neighbor is a murderer, rapist, career B&E guy, pedophile... So yeah, go ahead, make some cookies and you and your daughter go knock on his door to welcome him to the building.
I'd like to know exactly what study she is basing this claim on. This sounds like simply feel-good tripe being spouted by a libtard with absolutely no basis in fact. Let's see the numbers, lying POS.
My daughter has a credit score of zero.
She owes us a little bit but obviously that’s not subject o reporting.
She has an associates degree, is finishing her bachelors online. Has lived in Europe for a year, works full time and drives a modest car. She has never taken out a loan.
A few weeks ago, she applied for an apartment lease and had to fill out a credit application. She was all set to explain that she’s never had a loan and thus has no credit score.
They never asked and called the next day to see when she could move in. I think someone in their mid 20’s with a zero score isn’t a good risk, she’s a great risk.
I think only one of my kids has ever taken out any loans. He had some student loans and recently graduated as an Aerospace engineer. He plans to be paid off in about a year.
I was just talking with a friend of his who is almost done with his undergrad in Psychology, knows he won’t get a job in his field and plans to go even deeper in the hole for a Masters. He was completely oblivious to the lifelong decision to be in debt with no clear path to employment.
I had a bankruptcy in the mid 90s.
After a couple of years, no one seemed to care.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.