Tuesday January 18, 2011 year: 131 No. 9 the student voice of
The Ohio State University
www.thelantern.com
thelantern Duplex blaze causes severe damage
sports
KYLE KNOX Lantern reporter knox.154@osu.edu
No. 1 in the nation
1B
Ohio State men’s basketball took over the No. 1 spot in the AP and ESPN/USA Today coaches’ polls Monday.
Restoration crews are at work less than 24 hours after fire gutted a north campus duplex in the 90 block of West Northwood Avenue early Monday morning. The plywood now covering the windows sets a sharp contrast to the charred siding and melted gutters left by the blaze. Remains of police line tape flap in the breeze, becoming tangled on the surrounding trees and parked cars. The fire broke out just after midnight in the front of the house, causing minor damage to one side of the property and severe damage to the other. More than a dozen emergency response vehicles flooded Northwood Avenue between Neil Avenue and High Street, shutting down any through traffic. A space heater is thought to have started the blaze, said Mark Devine, Columbus Fire Battalion 3, Unit 2 chief. Tenants displaced by the fire kept warm at 83 W. Northwood Ave., two doors down from the fire. That residence became an essential location during the blaze, serving as a place where American Red Cross volunteers could tend to the victims, Columbus Division of Fire investigators could take statements and the tenants themselves could stay in the early hours of the morning. Scott Anders, a third-year in physical education and resident of 83 W.
continued as Fire on 3A
Landlord, tenant rights unmasked Before signing a contract, a look at housing legal rights could help
arts & life
usiiensg hoe s r
Part 1
This is part one of a three-part series discussing the ins and outs of housing on and off campus. Part 1 focuses on the rights and duties of tenants and landlords who have entered into lease agreements.
Jersey Shore
5A
MTV ‘Jersey Shore’s’ Pauly D stopped by The Bluestone Friday to show off his skills as a disc jockey.
online
Students volunteer on MLK Jr. Day campus
Car company coming to OSU
2A
weather
For many students, college provides the first opportunity to live in an off-campus apartment without supervision. Many students will also sign their first lease, which can come with unexpected consequences. “This may be the first legal document a student signs, and the terms can be unfamiliar and confusing,” said Molly Hegarty, department manager for Ohio State’s Student Housing Legal Clinic, in an e-mail. Hegarty said students should have a well-rounded view of off-campus living, which includes the legal rights and responsibilities under Ohio law and their lease. “Once a student signs a lease (he or she is) legally obligated under the terms of the lease,” Hegarty said. “So, before the student signs, (he or she) should be very sure to understand the lease and be comfortable with its terms.” The overwhelming lease-signing process can contribute to students’ decisions whether to move off campus. To help students make the successful transition, OSU provides them free legal advice and counsel through its SHLC. The SHLC provides 250-300 lease reviews a year to students and about 1,200 students received direct legal services from the clinic last year, Hegarty said.
Source: Student Housing Legal Clinic, Ohio Tenant-Landlord Law Graphic: Moll y GRAy / Managing editor for design Photo: Joe PoDel Co / Photo editor
EARTHA TERRELL Lantern reporter terrell.65@osu.edu
rain
30/21 a.m. snow 28/14 snow 20/11 partly cloudy 25/14 cloudy
Justin Conley Senior Lantern reporter conley.325@osu.edu
Landlord’s rights and duties If multiple tenants sign a lease together, the landlord may hold all tenants individually and jointly responsible for the full amount of the rent. If any tenant fails to pay his or her portion of the rent, the landlord can sue and/or evict the tenants.
$$
A landlord must pursue eviction if he or she knows, or a law officer notifies them, that the tenant is engaging in illegal drug use while on or near the rental premises.
The landlord may enter the rental unit if the request is reasonable and proper notice is given. Proper notice is generally 24 hours, but can be less in emergency situations. Reasonable requests include the need to make ordinary, necessary or agreed repairs, decorations, alterations or improvements, or to show the rental unit to prospective purchasers or tenants.
If a tenant violates any duties set forth by law or the lease agreement, the landlord may have the right to recover damages and/or evict the tenant. For many tenant violations, the landlord must give a tenant notice of the problem and up to 30 days to correct it. If the issue is corrected, the landlord may no longer pursue an eviction. Such tenant violations may include not keeping the property safe and sanitary or not keeping appliances in good working order.
Tenants’ rights and duties Tenants have a right to expect the landlord to comply with building, housing, health and safety codes. The landlord must also make repairs and do whatever is necessary to keep the property in a fit and livable condition. A landlord must make necessary repairs within a reasonable amount of time, up to 30 days. Common code violations include inadequate heat, non-operational smoke detectors and windows that do not open. A landlord has 30 days after the termination of the lease agreement to return the security deposit to the tenant and provide a written statement regarding reasons for withholding any amount. The landlord may not deduct from the deposit for damage considered reasonable wear and tear or general charges, such as cleaning. If a landlord wrongfully withholds any portion of the security deposit, a court may deem the tenant entitled to double the amount withheld. A landlord cannot retaliate against a tenant by increasing rent, decreasing services, eviction or threatening eviction for complaints lodged with a government agency or the landlord concerning a code violation.
$$
A landlord may not shut off utilities, change locks or take a tenant’s possessions in order to make the tenant move, even when the tenant is late on rent or the term of the lease has ended. The landlord must file an eviction action, obtain a court order and notify the tenant. Then a court bailiff must supervise the removal of the tenant’s belongings.
History a favorite of 85-year-old student
high 40 low 28
W R F SA
ANDY GOTTESMAN / Multimedia editor
A resident of 93 W. Northwood Ave. grieves as her house burns around 12:45 a.m. on Monday. A space heater is thought to have started the blaze, said Mark Devine, Columbus Fire Battalion 3, Unit 2 chief.
www.weather.com
Unlike many of her truant classmates, OSU student Marchane Hawkins attends every class she’s enrolled in. Hawkins also differs from her peers in another way: She is 85 years old. Over the course of 20 years, through Program 60, a program that allows Ohio resident senior citizens 60 and older to attend classes for free on a non-credit basis, Hawkins has been able to take dozens of courses and doesn’t plan on slowing down any time soon. “I think the most classes I’ve enjoyed were history, particularly black history. I’ve learned things
about myself and my race that I didn’t know,” she said. “I’ve learned that we have accomplished so many things, we have accomplished so much.” Little obstacles haven’t deterred her from the classroom. She continues to go to class, and finds it difficult to comprehend other students who don’t follow suit. “Education is key. If you want to socialize and speak to people you have to be able to speak intelligently and broaden your views,” she said. Attending class is only one of the many accomplishments Hawkins can add to her personal bucket list. She has raised children, traveled the world and said she has enjoyed the latter stages of her life. “I hope to leave a legacy with my children to live until you die, and to enjoy yourself,” she said. Hawkins said she watched her six children
graduate high school and several attend college and imagined what it would be like. “I wanted to see what college was like, I wanted to experience it … plus I worked up there (at Ohio State),” Hawkins said. “I wanted to give it a try … it’s a good alternative to knitting and being in the house.” When she was younger, Hawkins did not attend college because her parents could not afford it, and it was not something that African-Americans were taught to pursue, she said. “You were not expected to go to college. You were expected to go to white folks’ kitchens … college was for a different class of people,” she said. Being a native of Columbus’ East Side and a
continued as Student on 3A 1A