Rental Owners Association (ROA) in Lane County
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A Message from Tia Politi, Lane ROA President: November/December 2023

Our September meeting was sold out for the presentation by attorney James Gardner, which included special guests Charlie Hansen of R & R Properties along with Lieutenant Stotts of the Eugene Police Department. James gave us a rundown of the requirements for termination for nonpayment since the passage of HB 2001. Charlie and Lieutenant Stotts came to tell the group about the final lockout for the “rent strikers” at Sharon Prager’s Almaden Street property. 

Thankfully, the lockout went smoothly with no injuries or arrests. EPD arrived on the scene in the early morning hours of September 25^th, broke through the barricade the strikers had erected and escorted around 11 people off the premises. I was there to help that rainy Monday and was so impressed with the professionalism of all the officers on scene. They stood in the rain all day while Charlie’s team removed the barricades, took loads of trash to the dump, secured all four units, installed security lights and security fencing around the perimeter of the property. All while being called filthy names, and enduring vulgar taunts, and gestures.

For those who may not be aware of the situation, this property has four units on one tax lot and months ago, one of the tenants decided that she would stop paying rent in an ill-advised attempt to get the owner to sell her the property (not sure how an unemployed single mom thought she could get a loan to buy it), and was told the owner was not interested. Charlie proceeded to eviction court and in a jam-packed courtroom James Gardner prevailed at trial. But that was just the beginning.

The Sheriff did perform a forcible removal of that tenant, but then she and an unruly gang of protesters came back to the property and began illegally camping on the premises. One of the four renters had already given notice and moved out, the owner agreed to pay another unit’s occupants to leave which left one occupied unit. Because there are four units on one tax lot, police were unable to remove the protesters due to the permission of the one remaining legal household to allow them to stay in the common areas on the premises. That began another eviction for cause to the last remaining legal household which took a long time and resulted in another trial in which James and Charlie prevailed.

Then it took another couple of weeks for EPD to arrange for around 25% of the city’s police officers to be on scene for the whole day to allow Charlie to regain possession for her owner and secure the premises. During the intervening months this has taken, Sharon Prager has been under repeated assault at her rented apartment in California including defamatory posters pasted around her neighborhood and loud, vulgar, ugly protests at her home. The stress and uncertainty have been overwhelming to Sharon, who is not the rich out-of-state landlord they claim. Sharon was the best thing these renters had going for them as she kept their rents lower than market. Her LLC is even named Almaden Affordable Living LLC! She is not some huge corporate landlord with vast assets, she’s a regular person who grew up here and lives largely on the proceeds from her affordable rents to fund her retirement. How these people felt justified abusing her is beyond comprehension.

Sharon has incurred tens of thousands of dollars in costs for eviction, property clean up and repair of significant damage to the property, including tenant vandalism. Charlie has set up a Go Fund Me page to help Sharon recover financially from this devastating experience. If you have not yet donated and want to support another property owner’s rights to their property, please consider making a donation at: https://gofund.me/285156e0.

As we enter the holiday season, our best wishes to you and your families for a safe and joyous holiday!

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Attention Eugene Landlords...
Phase 2 of Eugene’s renter protection ordinance goes into effect on August 25^th, 2023, so if you intend and are eligible to issue a 30-day ‘no cause’ termination notice, a 30-day notice of non-renewal [both within the first year of occupancy] or a 90-day termination notice for qualifying landlord reason and can issue that notice before 8/25/23, you won’t have to pay the city’s relocation assistance required by that new ordinance (if you own 4+ units, you’ll still have to pay one month’s rent with your 90-day notice). From 8/25 on, be prepared to pay relocation assistance equal to two months’ rent.

Renter Protections Phases - Ordinance AIS

Phase 1 of Eugene's New Housing Ordinance PASSED
Signed July 13th and went into effect August 13th, 2022
Click on this link to read Phase 1: Phase 1 - City Council Ordinance Passed 7-13-22

Phase 2 of Eugene's New Housing Ordinance PASSED
Click on this link to read about Phase 2: Mind your Business - Eugene Code Regulations phase II

Working on Your TAXES???
(All Lane ROA Members will be notified ASAP, via email, when the 2023 Percentage has been computed)

94.5% of your 2022
ROA Regular Membership Dues
ARE Tax Deductible!

A portion of your ROA 'Regular' Membership Dues
are sent to ORHA to support Lobbying on YOUR behalf
through the Oregon Rental Housing Association (ORHA)

PURCHASING FORMS...
Members and Non-members can purchase blank hard copies of ORHA forms
at the Lane ROA office (4217 Main St, Suite E, Springfield, OR)

or
Members and Non-members can purchase forms ONLINE
at the Forms Store through ORHA at www.oregonrentalhousing.com
 ~ then click on the Forms Store tab
Note: Lane ROA Members, your discount code to purchase online ORHA forms at a discount is always listed on page 4 in each bulletin.

ATTENTION:  ORHA has a new numbering system.
Please read:  ORHA New Numbers Explained

 
The City of Eugene Housing Code FORMS ARE NOW AVAILABLE!

Unit Condition Form:
https://www.eugene-or.gov/DocumentCenter/View/67411/Renter-Protections-Move-In-Move-Out-Checklist_92022?bidId=

 The Tenant Education Information Form you’re required to distribute can be found at:
https://www.eugene-or.gov/DocumentCenter/View/67409/Tenant-Education-Information-Flyer_92022?bidId=

 The Rental History Form you’re required to give can be found at:
https://www.eugene-or.gov/DocumentCenter/View/67410/Tenant-Reference-Form_92022?bidId=

For more information visit EugeneRentalCode.org

Find more information about the Renter Protections Process on this webpage:
  https://www.eugene-or.gov/4885/Renter-Protections-Process

To be included in the Renter Protection interested parties email list, please email renterprotections@eugene-or.gov