Apartment Conditions Affect Renters

For some renters in Austin substandard conditions are threatening their sense of security and even their safety. FOX 7’s Crystal Cotti exposes the problem and the city’s limited ability to solve it in this special report.

House Bill 421 Requires Notice to Tenants in Foreclosures

Rep. Dawnna Dukes of Austin has filed House Bill 421 in the Texas House of Representatives. This bill addresses tenants’ rights during a foreclosure. It requires a landlord to notify tenants within seven days of receiving notice of a foreclosure sale.

Call your state representative to let him/her know your thoughts on the proposed legislation. Find out who represents you.

If you would like to speak before the Texas Legislature on these issues, contact the Austin Tenants’ Council at 512-474-7006.

Austin Referral Service Explained

News 8’s Luke Ellis talks about the Austin Lawyer Referral Service, a nonprofit organization that aims to connect people with the right lawyers to resolve their issues.

What is the Austin Lawyer Referral Service?
It’s a nonprofit organization that has been around for about 40 years that try to connect people who can afford individuals who can afford legal services, but have no connections to lawyers in specialty areas.

How does the Austin Lawyer Referral Service work?
You can contact the Austin Referral Service by phone or at their website. Then you will explain your issue or legal problem you want addressed. They will try to pair you with a lawyer that can help you in a particular area and then a short 30-minute consultation (minimal fee of about $30) to determine if you want to work with that lawyer.

What are some of the main benefits to using Austin Lawyer Referral Service?
There are many benefits to using the service. First, it allows the legal consumer to connect with a lawyer. That lawyer will have a background specific to your issue. They will give you an issue evaluation and provide initial feedback. The nominal expense for the entire consultation process ranges from $20-$30. The consultation process will determine if the lawyer is right for you.

House Bill 2824 Helps Tenants Appealing an Eviction

Rep. Elliott Naishtat of Austin has filed House Bill 2824 in the Texas House of Representatives. If passed, this bill would require a court to appoint a lawyer to represent a tenant who has filed a pauper’s affidavit in an appeal of an eviction judgment.

Call your state representative to let him/her know your thoughts on the proposed legislation. Find out who represents you.

If you would like to speak before the Texas Legislature on these issues, contact the Austin Tenants’ Council at 512-474-7006.

House Bill 2427 Addresses Tenant-Landlord Issues

Rep. Joe Deshotel of Beaumont has filed House Bill 2427 in the Texas House of Representatives. This bill addresses a number of tenant-landlord issues including:

• A tenant’s right to terminate a lease without penalty due to job loss or violent crime;
• Amounts owed to a landlord if a tenant terminates a lease early without cause;
• When a landlord may enter a rental unit;
• When a landlord may report a debt to a credit reporting agency;
• Evictions;
• Reimbursement of utility services if the landlord uses a tenant’s electricity; and
• No discrimination based on a tenant’s source of income.

Call your state representative to let him/her know your thoughts on the proposed legislation. Find out who represents you.

If you would like to speak before the Texas Legislature on these issues, contact the Austin Tenants’ Council at 512-474-7006.

Without Just Cause

Without Just Cause, outlines the rights, and lack thereof, for renters in foreclosure in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.

According to National Low Income Housing Coalition, about 40 percent of families facing eviction due to foreclosure are renters, but they have little protection. If a landlord is foreclosed, tenants who have diligently paid their rent on time may face eviction without notice, coming home to find locks changed and their belongings on the street.

The laws regarding the status of renters in foreclosure cases are complex and vary among the 50 states and the District of Columbia. Even if they have rights, many renters are often unaware of them and few have easy access to lawyers, who may also be unaware of tenants’ rights.

Major findings of this report show:
Only 33 percent of states (17) require any type of notice to tenants.
Only 29 percent of states (14 and DC) require a judicial process for foreclosure.
Only 2 states (NJ and DC) explicitly preserve tenants’ rights in the lease after foreclosure.
Only 23 states provide some exceptions that may preserve tenants’ rights.