12-01-2009, 03:06 AM
There exists a huge attitude against landlords in our society. Whether it's comments about making the landlord rich (which led to alot of people buying houses who had no business doing so), or withholding rent for any number of reasons, or just the general contempt towards landlords, it all contributes to this general attitude.
The laws have come to favor the tenant so much, they are unjust. If I walked into Wal-Mart and walked out with a tv, could I make some claim and get a TRO against Wal-Mart, so that they couldn't collect? Could I go rent a car at the airport, and then just keep it and stop paying, with the excuse "the car isn't in the best shape"?
And how many times have I heard from people, when bringing up the unjust laws and attitudes towards landlords: "well you should have known that when you decided to be a landlord", as if that justifies the behavior. There is sympathy for the losers who aren't paying, but not for the landlord trying to support a family too. Do they justify shoplifting too, because the vendor "should have known that"? Could I just go down to the farmers market and grab whatever I want, would the same people defend that?
There was a comment that many island landlords don't keep up their properties. I'd like to know, are the worst properties on the island rentals, or owner-occupied? I'd argue that the worst are owner occupied. Yet still this attitude that landlords ruin neighborhoods, etc. I'd bet that the average rental is repainted, cleaned, and has more recent repairs than the many owner-occupied homes. Yet still the attitude. It's like there's a resentment in our society lately, against anyone who tries to be successful.
I don't know how we can ever change the laws when the public opinion is so distorted.
The laws have come to favor the tenant so much, they are unjust. If I walked into Wal-Mart and walked out with a tv, could I make some claim and get a TRO against Wal-Mart, so that they couldn't collect? Could I go rent a car at the airport, and then just keep it and stop paying, with the excuse "the car isn't in the best shape"?
And how many times have I heard from people, when bringing up the unjust laws and attitudes towards landlords: "well you should have known that when you decided to be a landlord", as if that justifies the behavior. There is sympathy for the losers who aren't paying, but not for the landlord trying to support a family too. Do they justify shoplifting too, because the vendor "should have known that"? Could I just go down to the farmers market and grab whatever I want, would the same people defend that?
There was a comment that many island landlords don't keep up their properties. I'd like to know, are the worst properties on the island rentals, or owner-occupied? I'd argue that the worst are owner occupied. Yet still this attitude that landlords ruin neighborhoods, etc. I'd bet that the average rental is repainted, cleaned, and has more recent repairs than the many owner-occupied homes. Yet still the attitude. It's like there's a resentment in our society lately, against anyone who tries to be successful.
I don't know how we can ever change the laws when the public opinion is so distorted.