Malden Tenants United
Instead of simple negotiations, Alpha Management - representing Hillside Urban Properties LLC - with the help of legal forms and now intimitadation through eviction notices.
Malden/Medford Tenants formed to protest unreasonable rent increases and to negotiate a fair and equitable solution for both tenants and landlord.
After many tries the ownership refused to make a group agreement but to offer unreasonable terms on a lease that negatively affects individuals who have occupied the units when purchased
A tenant association (or tenant organization) may be made up of
tenants who live in a certain building or development, or membership
may be on a larger scale -- i.e. renters in a city who belong to a
county or citywide local tenants' association. These groups are
formed and maintained with a number of goals in mind, including:
-
Informing tenants of their rights
under local, state, and federal law. -
Organizing and lobbying on behalf
of tenants and tenants' rights, especially at city and county levels
of government. -
Improving tenant-landlord
relationships, building conditions, and services for tenants under a
"strength in numbers" model. - Encouraging regular communication and community awareness
among tenants
Tenant Associations: The Right to Organize
Tenant associations usually hold periodic meetings in order to
encourage active tenant participation, and to promote tenants'
awareness of the association's role and available services.
Just as most employers are prohibited from discriminating or
retaliating against employees who have joined a labor union, federal
and state fair housing laws dictate that landlords cannot take any
negative action based solely on a tenants' participation or
membership in a tenant association or similar organization. Examples
of prohibited landlord conduct include:
-
Arbitrary rent increases;
-
Refusal to make necessary repairs;
and -
Threats of eviction
In addition, a landlord may not prevent a tenant association from
meeting in a common area on the building's premises if other groups
are allowed to do so, as long as the circumstances of the meeting
(i.e. time, place, noise level) are reasonable.
Getting Involved:
If you are a tenant in a large residential building or
development, or if you rent your home in a mid- to large-size city,
you may have the opportunity to get involved in a tenant association
or organization. To find out more, contact your city's housing
department.
howard mcgowan
11:50 am on Saturday, July 7, 2012
This is where the City Councillors should step forward with their support and :Know HOW to not only represent their fellow citizens but act to protect the city against unreasonalbe and lax maintenance of facilities.
Phe
9:01 am on Tuesday, July 10, 2012
There is no legal protection against "arbitrary" rent increases. Please see the basic FAQ on MA General Laws governing landlord and tenant rights. http://www.mass.gov/courts/courtsandjudges/courts/housingcourt/housingquestions.html#28
And regarding Threats of Eviction, there is no such law protecting the tenant from this. See the site referenced above.
Now, if the property under the new management is in dire need of repairs, the tenants should follow the legal processes to have those repairs conducted and THEN they may take action if the landlord continues to terminate the tenancy. Otherwise, the landlord has the right to raise the rent (the new landlord is not the previous negotiator of the lease so the leases in question are essentially void and he/they are not actually violating the lease or the law) and the right to evict as well. Whether it's morally right is another story, but legally, they appear to be pretty sound.
howard mcgowan
9:19 am on Tuesday, July 10, 2012
We are familiar without all the laws rights and interpertations and know the rights in dealing with TENENTS RIGHTS. We have no quarrell without the rights of the landlords when they operate legally and not recklessly and illegally with intimination.
All Malden/Medford tentents Union is negotiate
Phe
10:26 am on Tuesday, July 10, 2012
I was simply pointing that out because 2 of the 3 points you listed are not, legally "tenant rights". They are ethical standards by which a decent property owner and human being should operate. To obscure the line between the two does no one any favors. I've left off weighing in on this particular issue (other than a couple of general comments regarding landlords and tenants to another commenter in a previous post of yours) but the more I see it and the more I read your opines in this forum, the more I question this whole issue from the tenant's perspective.
As far as I can see, the property came under new ownership and said new owners were trying to negotiate leases with the existing tenants at a rate that exceeded both the ability of the tenants to pay and the perceived value of the property in question. The tenants attempted to negotiate a lower rent with the new property owners and both parties failed to reach an agreement. Now, the new owners are in the process of evicting tenants who didn't sign a new lease and are, therefore, legally done with their tenancy.
The new owners sound like typical property slumlords who are used to the passivity of university students in Allston (i.e. who charge a "location" premium for absolute holes because the students don't care and their parents pay the rent). But they're still within their rights to evict. It's a sad outcome for longtime residents, but I still don't fully understand the legal concerns of the tenants themselves.
Don
1:52 pm on Tuesday, July 10, 2012
Is that a picture of the unemployment line? It would figure, tenants rights and unemployment are joined at the hip along with crime in this city. Lets do what they do in the middle east, if someone commits a crime, lets bulldoze the place they live and leave it an empty lot. I am sure plenty of space to build on will open up all over the city.
Phe
2:06 pm on Tuesday, July 10, 2012
Wow, Don. While I may question the representation Mr. McGowan is providing this organization, and while I may even question what, specifically, this tenant's organization is actually trying to achieve legally here, to bash the unemployed and tenants (who do have legal rights) in general in the way that you just did is really ignorant. You're basically saying that if a renter gets laid off from his job due to downsizing or otherwise no fault of his own, that he's now in league with criminals?!
How about we do like they do in the Middle East and cut out the tongue of those who slander, or remove the fingers of those who libel? Or does that not apply to you because your specious argument is different from my specious argument just now?
DannyBoy
2:22 pm on Tuesday, July 10, 2012
Don, your comments are really uncalled for and insensitive. I sense a lot of personal issues from the language you use, perhaps anger management and therapy would help.
howard mcgowan
4:58 pm on Tuesday, July 10, 2012
There is a lot of issues that have been missing in the discussion such as illegally entering the apartments after changing locks and giving master keys to Brokers., most empty apartments needing inspection have failed city code. Intimidtation notices to quit illegally under the door etc
We for the most part paying the old rent and trying to negotiate as a union the fair increase in rent and the condition of the Apartments
To settle negotiate is the sensible way . settle not wholesale Evictions
My opinion ,the Union stays strong and follows attorneys with their legal advice.
R.P.
5:46 pm on Tuesday, July 10, 2012
Howard, what's your rent? Also, why didn't you (and the others who are protesting) have a lease?
Marc Levine
8:20 pm on Tuesday, July 10, 2012
Alpha states they have no knowledge of any brokers entering apartments while tenants were not home. They said they will call the brokers and ask them to stop this practice. HOW MUCH OF THAT DO YOU BELIEVE? (Alpha's response that is) My friend has an apartment there and they entered while she was a away for 4th of July
howard mcgowan
9:22 pm on Tuesday, July 10, 2012
Hillside Urban Properties and their Management Company Alpha Management
They have a track record for poor maintenance Bait and Switch tactics with terms of their lease. Want complete private information not nessessary to determine the ability to meet the lease payment obligation. Has been lax in giving receipt for moneys turned over from former landlords plus the track records of rental payments for former years. They have asked for a 300 dollar raise to tentative am ount of 1150
so figure it out. I have been in this Apartment for 27 years never missed a beat on rent payment and have after the initial lease had a rental review and ageement annually. Received my interest 5% annually per agreement and any raise on monthly rent and adjustment of last months rent was ageed on a tentacy at will.
We at Malden United are not looking for a "free ride" only a fair agreement for both parties by having negotiations in good faith.
Time for property owner to take a step to resolve the issue without wholesale
Evictions and not emplying of the buildings by moving.out voluntary.
If the apartments are vacant they should be inspected to make sure they meet code
and a certicicate that they are liveable is issued!!!