Rent Thieves

Keep a close eye on what you put in the mail; crooks are stealing identities and your rent.

Lisa Carmona said what happened to her may be happening to other consumers during this hectic economy.

“Everybody knows rent is due on the first (of the month) so just be aware because there’s criminals out there,” Carmona said.

Carmona said somebody stole her rent money. It consisted of several hundreds of dollars in money orders.

Carmona said she placed her rent money in her apartment’s drop box. She said her apartment claimed they never received the payment. More…

Renter Claims Rat Invasion

A Southeast Austin woman said rats are crawling all over her apartment, and management is not doing enough to get rid of them. Lena Parrott moved into the Mission Hills Apartments in September. She said she saw her first rat a month later. Parrott said the rats have torn her furniture and raided her food and garbage. More…

If you have an issue that threatens your health or safety, give management a written request for repairs. Be sure to keep a copy of the letter and send it by certified mail (e-mail is not proper notice under the Texas Property Code). ATC offers a Self-Help Repair Packet to help renters enforce their rights.

Bipartisan Fair Housing Commission Recommends Independent Enforcement Agency

The National Commission on Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity today released The Future of Fair Housing, a comprehensive report that details the findings of a six-month-long, cross-country investigation into the state of fair housing in America.

Co-chaired by two former Secretaries of the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Henry Cisneros and Jack Kemp, the bipartisan commission held public hearings in Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Boston, and Atlanta. The hearings drew hundreds of housing experts and residents who testified about the pervasive nature and extent of illegal housing discrimination and its connections with government policy and practice that affect communities across the nation.

“In each of the very different cities we visited, we heard the same thing: the system is broken,” said Cisneros. The Fair Housing Act – the law that prohibits discrimination in housing under Title VIII of the Civil Rights Act – is not being systematically, effectively and rigorously enforced.”

Eight Ways to Deal Wisely With Debt Collectors

Consumers often make costly mistakes when creditors seek repayment. Among the mistakes to avoid: ignoring communication by creditors, even if you don’t have enough money to pay. Ease the stress of dealing with debt collectors by following these eight tips.

Civil-Rights Group Sues McKinney, Flower Mound

A Dallas civil-rights organization sued the cities of McKinney and Flower Mound this week in federal court, alleging that the communities segregate or prohibit low-income housing.

The nonprofit Inclusive Communities Project Inc. says in the lawsuits that the cities refused to participate in a financial-assistance program that would help developers obtain tax credits for building affordable housing.

The group says Flower Mound failed to follow regulations on federal funding that demanded the addition of affordable housing. The lawsuit against McKinney claims it discriminates against low-income housing residents by segregating them to the city’s east side.

The lawsuits are seeking court orders forcing the cities to participate in the group’s program. Read more in the Dallas Morning News.

Garland Fights What It Considers Boarding Houses

A legal battle is brewing in Garland over how many unrelated people may reside in single-family homes.

At issue are three single-family houses owned by a California-based firm that has converted them into low-income housing. Garland city officials say the homes violate a zoning requirement that limits to four the number of unrelated adults living in a single-family house. Read more in the Dallas Morning News.