By:
Lawre e O.
Thi article is not meant to cover all
a p ct of landlord-tenant law. If you
hav Illegal problem, contact an attorney.
If c
then
to
th
tenant c n ith-
rent until th landlord doe .
an e en deduct from the rent
of repair m de by the
tenant.
hy ould tenant even con er
ithholdin rent or rn ing repair?
hen I ndlord refu or ignores the
tenant' reque t to m e repair th
ten t is left ith four hoi es;
- To li e ith the problem
- Torno
- To m e th rep ir and deduct
th co t of it from th rent,
To ithho d the r nt until the
landlord m e the rep . .
hile ithholding rent or repairing
and dedu tin i the mo t effective y
to et the landl rd' ttention it' al
ri ce tenant could end up in
Court 0 r it. Therefore, th re are
prec ution that you, tenant, must
e prior to doin either.
ene er you ha e repair problem,
you ould notify the landlord. Tele-
phone th I ndlord and then nd
I tter. Don't forg t to d te all of your
tter d to m e copie of them. It
ood idea if you h ve the mon y
to nd all of your letter to your land
lord "Certified Return Receipt Re-
qu . ted hich i rvice you n get
t your I om . If the land-
rd . nore problem, then you
auld cont ct the He th Department
and h e an in ction m de. Get the
name of the person you talk to.
Finally nd cond letter informing
your I ndlord th t you e oing to
ithhold rent until repairs are mad or
that you will h ve the repair m de
yo r
•
your If and ill deduct the cost from
next month rent. State ho long the
repair problem have existed and mention
previ u I tters you have nt. Folio
the letter up ith . phone call. Before
you tak any action b ure that the
landlord has decided not to m e the
repair nd has a r ason ble opportunity
to do so.
Sometimes ho ever an emergency
ari su h as no he t in the winter.
Cont ct your landlord immediately. If
your I ndlord can't or won't act on the
problem in a rea nable length of time,
then tell your landlord that you are
going to repair it your If or hire me
one to fIX it and then deduct the cost
from your rent. In the meantime notify
the Health Department to try to have
an inspection m de so that a record may
be m de of the emergency problem.
After the repair i made send your land
lord a I tter tating why you were forced
to d duct the money from your rent.
e copy of the letter, save all receipts
and bills showing th cost of the repairs
m de.
Anytime you don't p y all or some
of your rent your landlord may try to
e . t you. Th refore, don't nd the
money that you ha withheld. If your
landlord take you to Court, the Judge
may ru again you. If you don't have
the money to pay ba the rent, then
you will be evicted. If your 1 ndlord
decides th t you e entitled to deduct
ion from the rent or the repair ould
be m e, hay the landlord put the
reement in riting or nd tter to
the landlord confirming the greement
on the repairs and/or deduction.
Your landlord cannot evict you for
complaining about repair ccording to
·chig n La , ho ever, you will h ve to
pro your c to the Judge if you end
up in Court. In ddition, if you have
nt your landlord letter, kept copies
of the letter , kept receipts and notified
the Health Department, then the land
lord should not be able to evict you ju t
becau you h ve withheld your r nt or
deducted money from your rent for
repair that h d to be made.
S pOpS serie
opens January 22
Th T in Citie Symphony
off it Pop Seri ith mu
to th Silver Screen' on Saturday,
Janu ry 22 8: 15 p.m, t the e
i hi n lIeg Community Center.
u ic Director Rob rt Vodnoy will
the Orche tra in tribute to the
movi ith mu i from Gone With The
ind, C pt in Bl d, Fant ia, The
Pin Panther The in d I nd 200 I :
ASp Ody y.
The January 22 con ill al
include George Gersh in' ore
Settle bias charge
Th ichi n Department of Civil
Rights and Ford otor Comp ny in
Dearborn h ve entered con nt order
to re 1 cornpl aint of unlawful
di rimin tion.
The complaint w filed by Patrill
Duncan of yne County who applied
for employment at the Rawsonville
Plant. After cornpl tin the medi al
questionnaire, e wa llegedly denied
the phy 'cal ex min tion due to her
eight.
to n American in Paris a well the
Suite from Superm n by today most
celebr ted cinema compo r John il
lim.
Seatin for th Pops i at 'table ith
in beer and other refreshments avail
ble.
Tic ets for the January 22 Pops are
9.00 for dults and 7.00 for ni r
ci izen and student and may be ordered
in dvance by calling the Symphony
office t (616) 983-4334.
Ford otor Company has greed to
p y Duncan 8 500 in full ttlement
of her complaint. The company al
'reaffirm its policy of equ 1 empl y
ment .opportunity. . . which does not
unlawfully di riminate on the ba is of
an individual' weight."
,
A tipulated, the consent order doe
not repre nt an admi ion of unl ful
di rimination by Ford otor ompany.
The Department of ivil Right
enters a con nt order when the claimant
and respondent reach an ami ble ree
ment prior to, during or fter th publi
hearing.
'CALL TO A
bas e
The �H utrition Ba etball and
Cheerleaders Program began 1 t Satur
day at artin Luther King School.
"Th program promi s to be great
cce " , ys Emma Coleman �H
Program A_· �tant.
Youth in the groups are experienc
ing a rapid gro th and need balanced
diet to pport their physi al, mental
and social ell-being, she noted.
The Berrien County Health D part
ment in c p ation with the Y. .C.A.
Re ur e Center, ill offer a four ssion
parenting la s entitled The T ddler
Year nths to Three Ye r "a cording
to Ruth 0 d Family Health Pr gram
Supervi or for the health departm nt.
s. ood id that the cl s ill
be held on four con utiv Thrusday
evenin January 13th 20th, 27th,
and February 3rd 1983, fr m 7:00 to
8:30 p.m. All n ill be held at
the Y. .C ., 508 PI asant Stre t in
St. Jo ph.
'Th Toddler Year" is the fourth
of fi e modules in the departm nt s
n Infant Child ommunity Servi e
Pr ram. Th other in the ri
in lude: odu) I -' e born xpect-
tion " birth to 3 month old' dule II
- ' arly Infan ," 3-9 month old;
dul III - Lat lnf n y 9- 0
month old; nd ul V - "Pre-
hool ' 3-5 ye r old. Th entire ries
i offered e h month t the he Ith
department' om in Bent n
H rbor. id that the pi ns
are to provide the other m ul at
community site in th future.
e are ry excited a ut t ur
n w parentin pr ram ut l the com-
all
•
egm
The program invol es 54 fern and
male dult volunteer Ie d rs and 3 0
youth.
S ores from the fir t r und re:
Fifth Gr de - orton Hill, 12, HuLl.
10· Stern Brun n, 18 Calvin Britain, :
Bard,21 Fairpl in est 4.
Sixth Grade - Hull 26, ort n Hill
17· Stem Bruns n 23 Cal in Brit in
19; Bard 34, Fairplan e t 5.
pa
Y. . .. ttin
and mfort ble envir nment
du ive t ur r up di .u
dded.