Landlords go to court to fight Gov. Walz's eviction moratorium

[TexasTowelie]

A lawyer for two property owners asked a federal judge Monday to end Gov. Tim Walz's nine-month moratorium on evictions.

U.S. District Judge Nancy Brasel heard arguments by telephone in a case filed in September that seeks to end the eviction moratorium so landlords can remove nonpaying or unruly tenants through housing courts. State officials argue that doing so could hamper efforts to curb COVID-19 and keep people housed.

Michael Kemp, an attorney with Hansen Dordell, represents the two Twin Cities property owners, Heights Apartments and Walnut Trails, who filed for the injunction to stop the moratorium. Kemp said that the executive order's "temporary moratorium has been an indefinite moratorium" that does not pass "constitutional muster."

"We have no idea when the end is in sight. My clients and other property owners across the state have no ability to plan about when they're going to start receiving rents again," Kemp said. "They have no idea how long they may have to put up with nuisance or in fact illegal conduct from their tenants, so the denial here is a fundamental right ... the right to the only remedy that is available for request for possession of the property."

Read more: https://www.startribune.com/landlords-go-to-court-to-fight-walz-s-eviction-moratorium/573324851/

[Crash2Parties]

1. It's odd to freeze evictions but not mortgages

Freezing evictions is the humane thing to do.

Not doing the same for mortgages almost feels like an attempt by lenders to squeeze out all the remaining small-time landlords so their properties can be added to the banks' rental portfolios.

https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2019/02/single-family-landlords-wall-street/582394/

[Merlot]

2. If the gov't doesn't offer assistance to small-time landlords

they have no right making the landlords subsidize the rent of people who are out of work.

Not doing the same for mortgages almost feels like an attempt by lenders to squeeze out all the remaining small-time landlords so their properties can be added to the banks' rental portfolios.