Once again a unit at Rolling Green Apartments, a generation old complex a fair amount of townies call home out on the Amherst/Belchertown border, is our winner. This time #202. According to police narrative: "Loud Party. Loud voices upon arrival, numerous responses here. Town Noise Bylaw citation issued to resident, 20 year old Kanha Sinha."And I think I'm going to expand my award to include Party House in the making. My first winner is 655 Main Street. According to police logs: "Reporting Party (neighbor) came into lobby to speak with an officer regarding trash and a junk car parked at 655 Main Street. RP also advised us of loud parties from the college students at the listed location. RP was explained the options for calling in noise complaints and the potential for violations of the nuisance house bylaw. RP advised he may call Health Department as well for the trash violation."
655 Main Street (back view)
Side view
i wonder what use it might be to bring pressure to bear on the property owners. obviously they cannot predict with certainty the quality of tenant they accept but they, like the complicit employer of an illeg... i mean undocumented worker, must be held partly responsible for this problem. no?
ReplyDeletei'm not up to speed on this issue so please correct me if i'm off the mark.
-ecosse
Yep, that's the next logical step.
ReplyDeleteThe town bylaw ALSO allows for a $300 ticket to be issued to the owner of the property after three nuisance house tickets have been earned by rowdy tenants.
If APD starts handing out a $300 ticket to the landlords, I think you will see a bit of pressure brought to bear on the tenants.
I am a landlord, and through a combination of being very selective about who I rent to, and good luck, I have always had excellent tenants.
ReplyDeleteTwo things I have always made clear to them is that if they bother their neighbors I will throw them out, and conversely if their neighbors bother them (units are condos) I will hound the police on their behalf.
My question is, do we legally have the ability to throw them out if they become a public nuisance? You can write anything you want in a lease, but it is not enforceable if there are state laws that trump it.
A fair question. Off the top of my head I would say YES, because you could be held responsible for their irresponsible behavior to the tune of $300 per incident after they have accumulated 3 "nuisance house" tickets.
ReplyDeleteAnd considering the activity of the Bad Boys out at 83 Morgan Circle, it's only a matter of time before the town starts doing that.
Perhaps a town official will ask the town attorney for an opinion.
while not a landlord i do know people who own rental property. and from what i am told massachusetts law seems to favor the tenant to the degree that it is very difficult to "kick out" even a deadbeat squatter.
ReplyDeleteall the more reason to screen carefully from the jump.
-ecosse
Maybe at one time, but things have changed in the past few years.
ReplyDeleteyou can't just throw someone out , there is a protocal to follow. and I seriously question the "fine the landlord" rule. there is no way that is legal .
ReplyDeleteGetting a tad defensive.
ReplyDeleteTake it up with the Attorney General; she approved the bylaw, so it is indeed legal.
just saying, a friend of mine got tied up in court for over a year as his non-paying tenants squatted...it is not an instant thing, and to fine the landlord for the tenant's atrocities seems like a mad law to me. i am not a landlord, or a tenant
ReplyDeleteAnd you are probably not a neighbor to a student party house either.
ReplyDeleteThat was one hell of a weekend... Good times 202
ReplyDeleteThe residents are way too strict with their dumb bylaws. Amherst is after all, a college town. It's partially the residents fault for wanting to live there. 201-202 RG knows whats up. I would never raise a family there, the apartments are essentially dumps.
ReplyDelete