Current Events > Check out this evil landlord

(+) Yeah! (+)

https://arktimes.com/arkansas-blog/2020/05/19/no-shelter-in-place-conway-renter-says-landlord-tried-to-illegally-force-him-out-of-his-home

He told his landlord in late March that he would have trouble paying April rent because of the sudden loss in income.

Toward the end of the month, the landlord, Genai Walker-Macklin, told Light that he would have to move out within less than a week. Im being nice to let you get your items out, she said in an April 3 text message.

In the weeks that followed, Walker-Macklin did not obtain an eviction order from the courts. Instead, according to documents filed in Faulkner County Circuit Court, she had the locks changed on the house at 1685 Jackson Drive, attempted to shut the utilities off and tried to have Lights car towed. When Light declined to move, she contacted the Arkansas Department of Human Services, claiming that the state of the house made it unfit for habitation by Lights four children.

Well, i guess you can't say they don't work for their money, that 'property management' sure is tiring


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Isn't the landlord breaking a ton of laws?

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That landlord is fucked. You can't change the locks.

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Since I saw @I_Like_Toast posting this, I'll spread the word.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MPFPBzr7FgY

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LightHawKnight posted...

Isn't the landlord breaking a ton of laws?

Yes, she would get destroyed in court.

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Renters have almost no rights in Arkansas. There's stories of people being stuck with houses with sewage leaks their entire lease.

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Sounds like that landlord is trying to break as many laws as possible.

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Master_Bass posted...

Yes, she would get destroyed in court.

If the defendant knew the law, which most don't, as shown in the patriot act link shown above. As unlike criminal, a lawyer isn't appointed to you if you can't afford one. And generally if you're being kicked out because you can't pay rent, you can't afford a lawyer either.

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I Like Toast posted...

If the defendant knew the law, which most don't, as shown in the patriot act link shown above. As unlike criminal, a lawyer isn't appointed to you if you can't afford one. And generally if you're being kicked out because you can't pay rent, you can't afford a lawyer either.

Oh, I'm aware it's unlikely this landlord will face justice.

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Landlords that do this shit should be tossed in prison and have the deed to the property transfered to the rentee with property taxes suspended for a year.

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This would have never happened in the horsing industry.

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If leechlords continue this behavior, I would not be surprised to see bouts of violence.

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declared the house was unfit for habitation? well that sounds like an excuse for the local government to take it and demolish it...

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monkmith posted...

declared the house was unfit for habitation? well that sounds like an excuse for the local government to take it and demolish it...

Even if it were, Arkansas has no "implied warranty of habitability" which means it would be perfectly legal for the landlord.

Goddamn our justice system is evil.


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LightHawKnight posted...

Isn't the landlord breaking a ton of laws?

i would assume so in most proper states.

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She is breaking the law, but what is that supposed to mean?

If you or I tried to start moving this dude out, we wouldn't get the luxury of just putting his stuff back.

I'm not a lawyer but the nature of the legal dispute clearly favors the landlord even if she is breaking the law

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How dare people expect payment for services rendered? The NERVE!

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Squall28 posted...

How dare people expect payment for services rendered? The NERVE!

Wow imagine this being your takeaway to this story.

Landlord tries to use allegedly shitty conditions in a rental unit they own to get DHS to take away their tenants kids, while simultaneously listing the unit for rent

Some bootlickers, apparently: muh market transactions somehow

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People like you who reflexively defend the powerful for no reason are directly responsible for the rise of socialism in America

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Why did the landlord not try to go through the proper processes? Being evil like this makes no sense.


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tenant https://237995-729345-1-raikfcquaxqncofqfm.stackpathdns.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/milton-light.jpg landlord https://237995-729345-1-raikfcquaxqncofqfm.stackpathdns.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/landlord.jpg

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This is why its always better to rent from a realty company instead of a private owner who is trying to cut out paying the middle man. These type of people dont even know the laws and think that their job is basically to collect checks from people.

When Ive rented through people like this, the house is usually in horrible condition and its virtually impossible to get them to have anything fixed. I have to fix a lot of stuff myself (or at least try) and I spent money out of my own pocket. Then she tried to get me to pay for a bunch of stuff that I had already reported in my move in sheet.

Yep. Always go through a company. Theyre going to be in your business (two yearly inspections and people driving around to see if your yard looks okay), but they understand the rules and laws and if you pay up and dont cause trouble, they will usually want to help you.

Balrog0 posted...

People like you who reflexively defend the powerful for no reason are directly responsible for the rise of socialism in America

It isn't for "no reason." I'm just not classist enough to ignore theft like the rest of you. If you take a product or service without paying the agreed upon amount, it's stealing. Doesn't matter how much money you got.

Do I think that tenants should get leeway during this time? Absolutely, and I agree with laws right now to protect tenants.

However, I'm not going to villainize people who is not getting their end of the bargain. That's fucking ridiculous. Imagine if I agreed to pay you for your car, and I just don't pay you and drive off with it because I don't have the money. Then people hate on you for expecting money for your car.

The story to landlords should be hey, I know it sucks that you aren't getting paid what you're due, but tenants need this help right now. Instead, it's let them live on your property for free or you're a spawn of Satan.


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Inagine you inherited land that your family has owned for generations and you want to have a bunch of serfs spend 90 hours a week tilling it for you and when the Black Plague hit suddenly they cant break their backs for your personal pleasure? WTF!!!!!

-Squall

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Payzmaykr posted...

This is why its always better to rent from a realty company instead of a private owner who is trying to cut out paying the middle man. These type of people dont even know the laws and think that their job is basically to collect checks from people.

When Ive rented through people like this, the house is usually in horrible condition and its virtually impossible to get them to have anything fixed. I have to fix a lot of stuff myself (or at least try) and I spent money out of my own pocket. Then she tried to get me to pay for a bunch of stuff that I had already reported in my move in sheet.

Yep. Always go through a company. Theyre going to be in your business (two yearly inspections and people driving around to see if your yard looks okay), but they understand the rules and laws and if you pay up and dont cause trouble, they will usually want to help you.

The property management company that deals with my house is a dream. The only inspection they've ever done is when the water company reported a leak somewhere. Shit gets fixed the next day after I call. They have a lawn care service that mows my lawn. It's been a pretty great experience.

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Squall28 posted...

The story to landlords should be hey, I know it sucks that you aren't getting paid what you're due, but tenants need this help right now. Instead, it's let them live on your property for free or you're a spawn of Satan.

This guy texted his landlord to let them know they'd have trouble paying because of the current global pandemic and her response was to tell him he was lucky she was giving him any time to leave at all.

Not sure why you're pretending something else is going on itt other than you shilling for that

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Shablagoo posted...

Inagine you inherited land that your family has owned for generations and you want to have a bunch of serfs spend 90 hours a week tilling it for you and when the Black Plague hit suddenly they cant break their backs for your personal pleasure? WTF!!!!!

-Squall

Imagine being priviledged and sheltered enough to think this is comparable

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Squall28 posted...

Imagine being priviledged and sheltered enough to think this is comparable

can I sig this?

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Lol

Your example isnt comparable but mine is because convenient reasons or something!

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Be a shame if that property burned down.

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LightHawKnight posted...

Isn't the landlord breaking a ton of laws?

Yes, even under normal circumstances you can't just kick a tenent out without going through an eviction process

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That landlord is a shithead but balrog you are better than highlighting awful outliers to reinforce CEs irrational hatred of landlords

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I don't think that I am, I feel a lot of enmity towards landlords and do feel like they're a problem as a general rule and not just in a sort of one-off or random way

But I also live in the worst state for renters so I'm sure that colors my perceptions

I am legitimately sorry to disappoint you though

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g980 posted...

That landlord is a shithead but balrog you are better than highlighting awful outliers to reinforce CEs irrational hatred of landlords

"Irrational"

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Balrog0 posted...

I don't think that I am, I feel a lot of enmity towards landlords and do feel like they're a problem as a general rule and not just in a sort of one-off or random way

But I also live in the worst state for renters so I'm sure that colors my perceptions

I am legitimately sorry to disappoint you though

Yeah in Arkansas they can rent out a barn with half the roof missing as a home.

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Crono99 posted...

I mean, landlords offer a necessary service

reminder this dude is like 19 and inherited an apartment building

Balrog0 posted...

I don't think that I am, I feel a lot of enmity towards landlords and do feel like they're a problem as a general rule and not just in a sort of one-off or random way

But I also live in the worst state for renters so I'm sure that colors my perceptions

I am legitimately sorry to disappoint you though

Even if i disagree, I assume your stance is rational

My issue with CEs take is that it is usually a hatred of landlords themselves ("parasites") rather than the concept/impact of the rental industry. Most landlords make their investment with pure intentions and dont deserve to be villainized

But i also think that renting is a powerful way to enable housing with mobility and with much much lower capital requirements, so idg the hatred of the concept either

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g980 posted...

Even if i disagree, I assume your stance is rational

My issue with CEs take is that it is usually a hatred of landlords themselves ("parasites") rather than the concept/impact of the rental industry. Most landlords make their investment with pure intentions and dont deserve to be villainized

But i also think that renting is a powerful way to enable housing with mobility and with much much lower capital requirements, so idg the hatred of the concept either

It's not so much that I think renting as a concept is bad, nor is it so much about individual intention (though I'm not sure exactly how to parse that here; probably this shithead landlord generally has good intentions, too. I don't imagine everyone who does bad deeds is trying to be a bad person).

There's just a power dynamic involved that I think makes it inherently problematic... I guess it's a societal responsibility to ensure renters are taken care of, but I think those who stand to profit have a bigger responsibility to stand up against "bad" landlords/bad laws and policies. In practice, though, most landlords want the most permissive rules possible -- even the "good" ones are often just like, "well I treat my tenants right and what about x problem tenant I had, I should be able to get rid of them they cost me money!"


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Balrog, if you have the time, even if it is later and have to necrobump your own topic, I'd love to know what your proposed solution might be to the homeownership issue. Especially as someone who has an inherent dislike for landlords.

It's such a deeply complicated problem that most of the time you're not going to get any real attempt at a solution from most posters, but if you happen to have one I can at least have faith that it's been thought out.

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The only time I ever felt like a for real big boy lobbyist was in trying to get a law passed to establish an "implied warranty of habitability" here. Most of these coward legislators were trying to miss the vote but oh shit I actually know people! I texted my contacts at a local NAACP chapter to pressure their local representative and put the call out to all my movement leftist folks, union organizers, all these activist schmucks I've literally spent the last half decade cultivating relationships with for this exact reason. These guys actually started showing up for the vote. It was being run by a republican and had the support of our (republican) attorney general. I was counting votes and thought we had it.

This stupid mother fucking Democrat from West Memphis votes no against all this constituent pressure because she's a landlord who rents out units that wouldn't be legal no mores. Man that made me so mad. I couldn't even stay to do media afterwards, it was disgusting. We literally had a fucking tie, so we lost

That's not why I feel the way I do, I just wanted to share because it is personal for me and I don't wanna hide my biases

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Honestly, I think bad renters are the start of the bad landlord cycle. I have dealt with so many landlords stuck with thousands in repairs from nightmare renters, and then they talk about needing to become more strict in the future. With that, they only start renting to certain crowds of people, which then lets the moguls start renting to the scumbags and the state sponsored renters with much less actual attention given to the properties. I doubt there is much that can be done considering a certain percentage of humanity will be comprised of scum.

Though at the same time, wed need some actual statistics to determine if this is an actual problem or some 5% minor statistical outlier that gets brought to the forefront of discourse and the news media.

Balrog0 posted...

It's not so much that I think renting as a concept is bad, nor is it so much about individual intention (though I'm not sure exactly how to parse that here; probably this shithead landlord generally has good intentions, too. I don't imagine everyone who does bad deeds is trying to be a bad person).

There's just a power dynamic involved that I think makes it inherently problematic... I guess it's a societal responsibility to ensure renters are taken care of, but I think those who stand to profit have a bigger responsibility to stand up against "bad" landlords/bad laws and policies. In practice, though, most landlords want the most permissive rules possible -- even the "good" ones are often just like, "well I treat my tenants right and what about x problem tenant I had, I should be able to get rid of them they cost me money!"

I agree that tenant protections are critical, but i dont agree that the onus is on landlords to campaign for those protections. It would be great if they did, but asking to be policed is not expected behavior in any industry, and i think its letting lawmakers - who's job is explicitly to define what ought to be policed - off the hook too easily


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g980 posted...

I agree that tenant protections are critical, but i dont agree that the onus is on landlords to campaign for those protections. It would be great if they did, but asking to be policed is not expected behavior in any industry, and i think its letting lawmakers - who's job is explicitly to define what ought to be policed - off the hook too easily

Blaming politicians is just moving downstream, because it's the industry associations largely getting people elected and explaining their votes to them.

I'm not letting them off the hook, part of the reason I expect supposedly good landlords to speak up is because they have influence that tenants do not.

I don't know if it's the same as any other industry. For one thing, I'm not sure housing and other things are comparable. For another, I don't know that most industries have this kind of power imbalance. Yes, the chamber of commerce is awful, but we have employee unions and even alternative business associations. What's that look like for landlords and tenants?

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Well I guess I think politics is downstream of culture or whatever regardless of industry organization, so maybe that's a red herring...

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Crono99 posted...

I mean, landlords offer a necessary service.

No they dont. They are middlemen between humans and our god-given right to life on Earth, slyly swindling a profit.

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