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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (April 18, 1973)
Your landlord is probably right Editor’s note: This question and answer column is being produced by a small staff of tenants working out of Off-Campus Housing at the University because a great deal of misinformation and a lack of knowledge exists in the area of tenant and housing problems. The information in this column is not intended to be legal advice and should not be relied on in answering any specific legal question or problem. A slight modification of the facts may result in a radically different answer. To resolve a specific problem there is no substitute for individual legal advice, contact an attorney or Legal Aid. Dear Housing Problem: Our sink drain frequently plugs up. I have asked the landlord to repair the sink, but he says he doesn’t have to, that since there is nothing in the lease he is not required to repair my dwelling. Is he right? Love, Baffled Dear Baffled: Your landlord probably is right. Since the laws vary from city to city and county to county, you should check with an at torney or Legal Aid to be sure. In most parts of Oregon Land lords are not required to repair or maintain rental units. Building and housing codes do exist in Lane County, Portland, Salem, Eugene, and some other cities and counties. You should check with your local city or county building or housing department to see if there is a building or housing code in your area and if your problem is covered by the code. Building codes generally regulate the construction of new buildings, while housing codes govern repair and maintenance of existing structures. If there is a code violation, the inspector may require your landlord to make the necessary repairs. If there are serious violations the building may be condemned, forcing you to move. If the landlord becomes angry with you for turning him in, you may find yourself the victim of retaliatory eviction. In Oregon a landlord can force you out of a unit by refusing to renew a lease, or if you are not on a lease, by giving thirty days written notice, for any reason, for no reason, or in retaliation for your having reported him. Since most cities can not afford a large staff of housing inspectors and must rely on tenant complaints, the effect of retaliatory evictions, or its threat, is to prevent enforcement of building and housing codes which are primarily designed to protect health and safety. In the absence of a strong housing code there is little you can do to force the landlord to make necessary repairs. Some leases and rental agreements do require a landlord to maintain your unit, but since most lease and rental agreements are drafted by a landlord’s attorney, such provisions are rare. The Oregon legislature is now considering legislation that would require rental housing to be maintained in fit and habitable condition. The bill, Senate Bill 159, specifically defines the landlord’s obligations and should provide some protection for tenants in situations where the landlord is unwilling to reluctant to make necessary repairs. Existing law has been little changed since Sixteenth Century England when most tenants were farmers, buildings were of simple construction, there was no plumbing, no electricity, and centra] heating was unknown. Senate Bill 159 would also make it more difficult for tenants to be evicted simply because they complain to a public agency, or to the landlord, about a health or safety violation. If you have a question about a housing problem, write to Housing Problems, 319 „Erb Memorial Union, Eugene, Oregon 97403. General or com mon inquiries will be answered through this column. Sea Urchin hoards controlled with otters and quicklime About twenty people showed up Monday night to hear a talk billed as “Fighting the Sea Urchin Hoards.” The talk was given by Wheeler North, a professor of environmental science at the California Institute of Technology, who has been visiting the University for the past few days. “ ‘F ighting the Sea Urchin Hoards’ is a pretty dramatic title,” said North. “People expect me to stand up soaking wet with spines sticking all over me.” North said that sea otters, once plentiful along the coast of Southern California, were nearly wiped out by fur hunters in the last century. The otters, which eat sea urchins, had held the papulation in check. Once the otters were gone the urchins proliferated, and destroyed many coastal kelp beds. “These beds,” said North, “are the richest com munities of our coastlines.” Kelp, which is a valuable source of certain chemicals, can be harvested by man on a controlled basis. North said he and his colleagues had ex peri men led with various methods of cutting back the urchin papulation. “Possibly the most effective technique is to just take a hammer and hit them. We call this method ‘bopping’.” But this method is good for only small scale control. Another technique developed by North is the use of quicklime. Large quantities of the chemical are dumped over the sides of special ships. Harmless to most marine life, quicklime is fatal to urchins. In areas where this technique was tested, said North, kelp beds returned rapidly. North admitted that these methods may only deal with symptoms, not the real problem, which is the loss of the sea otter population. The otters, now protected by law, are slowly making a comeback. The herd is presently estimated at about a thousand. Urchins are considered a delicacy in the Orient and by certain cultures in the Mediterranean. “I’ve tried them,” said North. “'Hie roe is delicious, especially if you take along a bottle of chilled white wine. But I’d advise wearing a wetsuit when you’re opening them.” Matthews elected Esther Matthews, professor of education at the University, has been named president-elect of the National Vocational Guidance I Association for 1973-74. She previously served as secretary of the group and as chairer of the Association’s Commission on the Occupational Status of Women. The group is a branch of the American Per sonnel and Guidance Association. Matthews has been at the University since 1966. She is spending the current academic year on sabbatical leave, visiting and lecturing at various research centers in the United States and Europe. rain shine ode THETA CHI'S 3rd CAR RALLY 7:00 p.m. April 20 $1.50 PER PERSON 15th & MOSS PARTY FOR ENTRANTS ONLY AT THE FINISH LINE. YOUR FAVORITE BEVERAGE ON TAP FREE THE BEST OF^BOTH WORLI jyxt jm ssrj&A Franklin Blvd. 746-4144 BELLY DANCING STARTING APRIL 20 FRIDAY & SATURDAY NIGHTS 9:30 - 10:30 75c COVER APPETIZERS, DESERTS & BEVERAGES AVAILABLE DINNER 5-9 pm TUES.-SUNDAY A Different Entree Nightly - Lamb, Chicken, Beef Cali for Reservations T BUSTER KEATON - TBQE QQSDEMX April 22 3 & 6 pm 180 PLC $1.00 Sunday Film by Cultural Forum German AUTO SERVICE VOLKSWAGEN MERCEDES & PORSCHE /*,«.» / DATSUH t TOYOTA 4~ Tnc"™4 FACTORY TRAINED EXPERTS GIIEKTER SCHOEHER 204S FRANKLIN UVD. Das. Ni. 3(2-2912 Eagene OREGON 97403 This Fall WHAT'S NEW AT THE COLLEGE INN? A New Dimension in Our Meal Plan: You have the choice of 10,15 or 20 meals per week, to fit your class schedules, your budget, and-or your convenience. Another part of the College Inn’s “College Living,” designed for your utmost comfort and enjoyment. Have a good year! FOR MORE INFORMATION. PLEASE INQUIRE AT IUM PATTERSON (143-929!)
