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!)