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Youngstown Tenants Council meets for first time
YOUNGSTOWN
Lucretia Croom has a black-mold problem in her home.
The toxic fungus can cause chronic coughing, eye and skin irritation, headaches and – if a person is exposed long enough – death.
To make things worse, Croom and her son are both asthmatics.
Knowing the situation had to be remedied for her and her family, Croom reached out to her landlord to assess and fix the problem.
Croom sent her first request for assistance out nearly seven months ago, but she said she has yet to receive any help.
Unsure of her options, Croom took a chance and attended the inaugural meeting of the Youngstown Tenant’s Council on Tuesday night at the main branch of the Public Library of Youngstown and Mahoning County in hopes of finding answers.
Though only a handful of residents attended, the renters’ meeting continued as planned.
The first meeting’s topic focused on the responsibilities of both renters and landlords as well as the process for holding rent in escrow in the event a landlord refuses to respond to a renter’s maintenance request.
The group, started by a small group of local organizers, formed to educate renters on various issues and as a focal point for organizing for better renters’ rights in the city.
Patricia Dougan, a lawyer with Community Legal Aid, was the first speaker.
Dougan said most tenants’ rights issues begin with whether the tenants are current on their rent. She said without being caught up on rent, it’s nearly impossible for tenants to have their complaints considered by a magistrate.
She recommended prospective tenants have an understanding of who owns the property where they’re considering renting, ensuring the property is registered with the county, determining if it has lead paint by checking to see if it was built before 1978 and asking how many water meters are on the property and if there is one per rental unit.
Dougan also suggested tenants pay only with checks or money orders sold at banks or the post office, as they’re easy for lawyers to track and provide evidence of payment.
Throughout the evening, Dougan impressed on the group the importance that, as tenants, they keep current on their rent and they maintain their side of the responsibilities they’re given under the law.
In the event, however, that landlords ignore their tenants’ requests, Dougan outlined the process for holding one’s rent in escrow with the court until their landlord responds. She recommended consulting with a lawyer before attempting to put one’s rent in escrow.
Mary Kruppa, one of the event’s organizers, wished there had been greater turnout, but she was pleased with the feedback.
“Even though it wasn’t a huge turnout, there were a lot of good questions asked afterward,” she said. “Hopefully, we’ll be able to get the word out and get more people here for the next meeting.”
Alexis Wokocha, a renter who attended the meeting, had a positive experience.
“I loved it. There was so much information tonight, I’m not going to shut up about it tomorrow,” she said. “I’ll definitely be coming back.”
The group has meetings at the main branch library beginning at 6 p.m. scheduled July 16, Aug. 20 and Sept. 17.