ALOC NEWS
| November 1, 2001 | Associated
Landlords of the Cumberland Area ALOC Phone (301) 759-0530 P.O. Box 1867 |
Vol. 7, Issue 11 |
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Upcoming Speakers At our November meeting we will have Chief Bobby Dick from the Cumberland Police Department as our speaker. It has been a couple of years since the Chief spoke to us and we are sure that the membership has many questions for him. ALOC Website Check out our website on the Internet at cumberlandlandlords.com. The site is up and running in a very basic format and we will be posting time sensitive information to it as we receive it. For instance there will be a conference at the Appalachian Environmental Lab on Midlothian Road in Frostburg on November 15th from 7-9 pm. This forum will hear and see a report made via video conferencing regarding possible problems with fluoridation and the leaching out of lead that could accentuate the lead poisoning problem. From the information we have received we understand that a number of doctors will be on the videoconference including Dr. Masters from Canada, Dr. Coplan from Dartmouth and possibly others from different locations. Exact details are still being worked out. ALOC members along with the Frostburg Landlords Association, the NAACP, the Allegany County Health Dept. and the Pure Water Committee have been invited to attend. Members wishing more details should attend the next ALOC meeting or contact Mary or Bernie Miltenberger for more information. No December Meeting ALOC will not hold a meeting in December but we will be sending out a newsletter along with the dues bill for calendar year 2002. Recent members who joined and paid for 2001 and 2002 should not receive another bill. Happy Holiday wishes to all of our membership! |
Maryland's
Statewide Lead Safe Housing Registry The
Lead Safe Housing Registry (LSHR) is produced by the Coalition
to End Childhood Lead Poisoning to give back to owners who
are committed to make their rental properties safe for families
and to assist families in finding safe, affordable housing.
If you own a rental property in Maryland and have met all
Federal and State requirements to make your unit compliant,
you can promote your unit for FREE on the LSHR! Call Michelle
Nusum at 800-370-5323 for more information! Responsible property
owners help us GET THE LEAD OUT! Miscellaneous Lead Stuff We constantly are asked about the phone numbers for the MDE as well as how to access them on the Internet and with this in mind below listed is the information: Lead Hotline 410-631-4199 or 800-776-2706. Web address www.mde.state.md.us/health/lead/index.html For those wishing to acquire their own MDE forms they can find them at this site and download them accordingly. Garbage Bill Glitch The shifting of garbage charges from the tax base to the water bills started this summer and already we have found some problems. Most people should see water bills with an extra $ 8.70 charge for garbage whereas multi unit buildings and or commercial properties may receive bills for $ 16.20. The
glitch occurs if you have separate water meters for each tenant
and or the property may have been listed as commercial with
the Maryland Tax Assessment Office. If you are not sure check
with the City Administrators office as the Utilities staff
doesn't understand the problem. |
Miscellaneous
Items
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It was certainly refreshing to see a packed meeting room at our October meeting when the Health Dept., MDE and the Coalition gave us a lengthy presentation about the lead problems in Allegany County as well as a complete overview of the program including updates on recent changes. The meeting took on a spirited atmosphere as our member as well as those from Frostburg asked a lot of pointed questions. A great deal of hand out materials were available for those that attended and we mailed out some small packets to prospective new members who were unable to attend. Additional packets of information have been requested from the Coalition and we will make those available to those members who were unable to make the meeting. Call our 301-759-0530 number to make your request and we will either mail it right our or include it with the next mailing. We are not sure when the brochures will be shipped to us, so be patient. Landlords in Chicago, New York and Los Angeles must pay large fines for failing to comply with the 1992 Residential Lead Hazard Reduction Act's disclosure requirements. This is part of the EPA Title X regulations that we have discussed in the past. The settlements will result in $ 328,000 in civil penalties and child health improvement projects and call for testing and clean up of lead-based paint hazards in more than 16,000 apartments throughout the U.S. Under the Lead Disclosure Rule of the Hazard Reduction Act, landlords and sellers of housing constructed prior to 1978 must present every purchaser or tenant with: a lead hazard information pamphlet and any information and/or reports regarding lead-based paint hazards in the property just to name a few of the requirements. Using the
ALOC provided booklets and disclosure forms will bring you into
compliance with this Federal requirement. |
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Leases and other Documents The Leases and other forms have been upgraded to reflect Law changes made in recent years and are available now.ALOC has
available leases, rental applications and tenant checklists
for sale, at cost, to members. The cost for each item is as
follows: These forms are kept at Jeff Hutter's office, TWR Comm. at 117-119 Valley Street. Any paid member can stop by and pick up whatever they need, however we ask that you call first with your order so that the forms can be ready and waiting for you. Please
call at least 24 hours in advance as these are made to order. |
ALOC
Officers
J. Jeffrey Hutter President Carey
Walker Vice President J. Jeffrey Hutter Treasurer Board of Directors
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Thought
for the Month
Avoiding
danger is no safer in the long run than outright exposure. We
can do no great things - only small things with great love. You
must do the thing you think you cannot do.
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