Craig Miller <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: "I would like to know if Mr. Krueger is a civilian employee of CCP/SAFE or a sworn officer of MPD. Once again it goes to the motivation of the poster." As I have frequently posted to this list, I am a civilian employee. I am partnered with a sworn officer, and we work as a team in crime prevention. We get a squad to roam our district together, but my partner gets the gun and I get the computer ;) My partner is very motivated also and he and I meet monthly with the rental property owners in our district. Scott McGerik <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: "If I am correctly understanding the debate regarding landlords and problem tenants, the City of Minneapolis is holding the landlord responsible for the actions of problem tenants." Some owners have intrepreted the conduct on premise requirements of Mpls' rental lic to mean they are held responsible for the criminal actions of their tenants. This is only true insofar as when an owner knows of criminal activity, but does not take reasonable steps to stop or prevent it. In that respect it is much like bars--one cuts off someone who's obviously 2 sheets to the wind, because a third sheet would mean the customer better get a cab home--otherwise the bar owner could be liable under dram shop laws for people hurt or killed when that patron drives drunk. If rental property owners demonstrate to us that they have given warnings or taken other steps to advise tenants to stop the problem, those owners have no reason to worry about the license. In Minneapolis, certain criminal incidents may jeopardize the owner's license but ONLY if the owner is aware of that criminal activity and does not take reasonable steps to deal with it. "Since a landlord is not present on the property all of the time, that means that the landlord can not eject the problem tenant immediately as can a bartender eject a problem patron. Also, it is my understanding that a landlord can not just eject a tenant, that instead, the landlord must use the legal system to evict the tenant (is this correct?)." Owners can evict tenants who violate the terms of the lease, which is the contract between the two parties. Violations can include criminal activity which can be specifically detailed in the lease or fairly general. By law owners must give proper notice, In housing court the process includes giving notice equal to the rental period plus one day notice, i.e., a month's notice for a 30-day lease, 181 days' notice for a 6 month lease.... So it is clearly important for an owner to be as careful as possible not to put verifiable crooks in the building, or once they discover it afterward it could be on tenterhooks for a month or more. In some drug or weapon cases owners can ask for a 7-day eviction. Owners are at a distinct DISadvantage in that they don't necessarily know when one of their tenants is causing problems--specific building issues are often reported to the owner via other tenants, and in those disputes we avoid getting caught up in. I've been open on this list and in the Dept. about urging our city to do as Bloomington does, that is, post adult arrests on the internet. This would give owners a chance to know what their tenants are up to. At present an owner can go to Room 31 at city hall and see the previous 30 day list of adult arrestees, and by case # look up the public information. But the printed list isn't sorted by address so it is a tedious process at best. Even so, I know owners, generally the closer to Downtown their property, who actually do check that ring binder frequently. The Chief has said at the recent CODEFOR meeting in the 5th Pct. that he wants to see the day come soon when anyone on-line can access the public crime information and by statute that includes a lot of adult arrest information. Out east, I have heard of publishers suing their local law enforcement agencies to make it easier to access this data, and in fact some went to court because those agencies were denying all access or asking why someone wanted it. And those publishers got that info. Perhaps it would be more cost-effective for us and less of a headache to those who need the info, to put this stuff on the web as the Chief implied. "With this in mind, can a landlord put in a clause into the lease that says the tenant can and will be evicted if the tenant is involved in any kind of criminal or problem behaviors?" If the criminal activity happens on the property, yes, such a clause is workable. Mr. Miller's advice to check in with the Mn. Multi-Housing Association is the best to be sure--they have model leases combed over by attorneys and surviving legal challenges. Their web page is http://www.mmha.com/ and the site is a good education in and of itself. CPS (Crime Prevention Specialist and motivated civilian) Luther Krueger 673-2923 mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Minneapolis Police Department, Downtown Command SAFE District 7A: Downtown West, North Loop/Warehouse District, and Loring Park (Lyndale resident, 8th Ward) _______________________________________________ Minneapolis Issues Forum - Minnesota E-Democracy Post messages to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest option, and more: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
