College Station landlords will soon be required to register with the city or face a fine.
City officials say the registration will be used to establish a database of the city's many landlords. The database will allow a better understanding of how many homes in the city are rented and provide officials with contact information for emergencies.
The goal, city officials say, is to preserve neighborhood integrity.
As part of the ordinance, owners of all single-family and duplex rental units must register annually. The ordinance does not apply to apartment owners. Each out-of-area landlord will have to a local contact person. The registration deadline is March 1.
The city of Bryan has reviewed College Station's program but hasn't adopted the idea.
Lance Simms, College Station's assistant director of planning and development services, said the landlord registry would help maintain quality neighborhoods by adding a level of accountability for landlords.
"It's all about protecting and sustaining the neighborhood," Simms said.
Cindy Dillard, the city's code enforcement supervisor, said the ordinance would aid emergency officials because contact information will be readily available for health and safety issues.
"Any time there's a major fire or criminal activity, the Police Department and the Fire Department are tied to the scene until someone comes to the building," Dillard said. Knowing whom to contact will help free officials to do other things, she said.
The ordinance will ease some of College Station's challenges as a university town in which as many as half of the homes are estimated to be rentals, Simms said.
The registry will help officials locate owners when students are not in town and homes are vacant for long periods.
"There could be an incident, like a busted water pipe, and no one would be home and we don't even know where to start to get ahold of anybody," Simms said.
The ordinance is also meant to serve as an incentive for landlords to enforce the city's occupancy limit, maintain sanitary conditions and ensure that pets are properly cared for and under control.
"If we're able to be proactive in code enforcement issues ... we'll help be able to maintain a level of integrity and, in turn, maintain property values," Dillard said. "This is not set up to target renters at all."
Susan Irza, spokeswoman for the SummerGlen Neighborhood Association, said she liked the idea of landlords registering with the city because it gives property owners a stake in ensuring the quality of the neighborhoods.
"It gives a point of contact in the event of continued noisy parties, parking problems or ineffective maintenance of houses or yards," Irza said. "These have a detrimental effect on property values in a neighborhood, not to speak of the quality of life of homeowner-occupants."
College Station Community Relations Manager Peggy Calliham said city officials spent a lot of time evaluating the worthiness of the registration program and studied college towns across the country that had successfully implemented similar requirements.
"We're not unique in this," Calliham said.
The program's $15 registration fee will pay for the database software, which has mapping capabilities to allow people to see which homes in their neighborhood are rentals.
Dillard said the mapping aspect of the program, which would be available through the city's Web site, could encourage residents to report unruly renters and motivate renters to be better neighbors.
"They will rat you out if there's a problem," she said.
College Station landlords must register with the city by March 1. Landlords will be required to provide their contact information and the number of tenants in each home. Tenants will not be held responsible for the registration.
33 comment(s) found!
Posted by:
JFEAC On:
Monday, February 16, 2009 11:02 AM
Comment Title:
After reading your article below I found the last line in this Eagle story very disturbing. The quote that bothered me - Dillard said the mapping aspect of the program, which would be available through the city's Web site, could encourage residents to report unruly renters and motivate renters to be better neighbors. "They will rat you out if there's a problem," she said. This was said by Cindy Dillard, the city’s code enforcement supervisor. I have friends in College Station that have been abused by the city’s enforcement officers and think it is risky to come forward now. If we continue to elect city officials who chose to use all the power that the state government says they are allowed, further abuse is assured. Cindy Dillard at a minimum should be reassigned to a position that grants her no responsibility over application of the law. email- Worth your time to read regardless of who you voted for... or what you think of the stimulus package. "Grandchildren are the crown of the aged, and the glory of children is their parentage." Proverbs 17:6 "Is not wisdom found among the aged? Does not long life bring understanding?" Job 12:12 "Something of Historic Proportion is Happening" by Pam Geller I am a student of history. Professionally. I have written 15 books in six languages, and have studied it all my life. I think there is something monumentally large afoot, and I do not believe it is just a banking crisis, or a mortgage crisis, or a credit crisis. Yes, these exist but they are merely single facets on a very large gemstone that is only now coming into a sharper focus. Something of historic proportions is happening. I can sense it because I know how it feels, smells, what it looks like, and how people react to it. Yes, a perfect storm may be brewing, but there is something happening within our country that has been evolving for about 10 - 15 years. The pace has dramatically quickened in the past two. We demand and then codify into law the requirement that our banks make massive loans to people whom we know can never pay back? Why? We learn just days ago that the Federal Reserve, which has little or no real oversight by anyone, has "loaned" two trillion dollars (that is $2,000,000,000,000) over the past few months, but will not tell us to whom or why or disclose the terms. That is our money. Yours and mine. And that is three times the $700B we all argued about so strenuously just this past September. Who has this money? Why do they have it? Why are the terms unavailable to us? Who asked for it? Who authorized it? I thought this was a government of "We the People," who loaned our powers to our elected leaders.. Apparently not. We have spent two or more decades intentionally de-industrializing our economy. Why? We have intentionally dumbed down our schools, ignored our history, and no longer teach our founding documents, why we are exceptional, and why we are worth preserving. Students by and large cannot write, think critically, read, or articulate. Parents are not revolting, teachers are not picketing, and school boards continue to back mediocrity. Why? We have now established the precedent of protesting every close election (now violently in California over a proposition that is so controversial that it wants marriage to remain between one man and one woman. Did you ever think such a thing possible just a decade ago?). We have corrupted our sacred political process by allowing unelected judges to write laws that radically change our way of life, and then mainstream Marxist groups like ACORN and others to turn our voting system into a banana republic. To what purpose? Now our mortgage industry is collapsing, housing prices are in free fall, major industries are failing, our banking system is on the verge of collapse, Social Security is nearly bankrupt, as is Medicare and our entire government. Our education system is worse than a joke (I teach college and know precisely what I am talking about.) The list is staggering in its length, breadth, and depth. It is potentially 1929 x 10. And we are at war with an enemy we cannot name for fear of offending people of the same religion who cannot wait to slit the throats of your children if they have the opportunity to do so. And now we have elected a man no one knows anything about, who has never run so much as a Dairy Queen, let alone a town as big as Wasilla , Alaska .. All of his associations and alliances are with real radicals in their chosen fields of employment, and everything we learn about him, drip by drip, is unsettling if not downright scary (Surely you have heard him speak about his idea to create and fund a mandatory civilian defense force stronger than our military for use inside our borders? No? Oh, of course. The media would never play that for you over and over and then demand he answer it. Sarah Palin's pregnant daughter and $150,000 wardrobe is more important.) Mr. Obama's winning platform can be boiled down to one word: Change. Why? I have never been so afraid for my country and for my children as I am now. This man campaigned on bringing people together, something he has never, ever done in his professional life. In my assessment, Obama will divide us along philosophical lines, push us apart, and then try to realign the pieces into a new and different power structure. Change is indeed coming. And when it comes, you will never see the same nation again. And that is only the beginning. I thought I would never be able to experience what the ordinary, moral German felt in the mid-1930s. In those times, the savior was a former smooth-talking rabble-rouser from the streets, about whom the average German knew next to nothing. What they did know was that he was associated with groups that shouted, shoved, and pushed around people with whom they disagreed; he edged his way onto the political stage through great oratory and promises. Economic times were tough, people were losing jobs, and he was a great speaker. And he smiled and waved a lot. And people, even newspapers, were afraid to speak out for fear that his "brown shirts" would bully them into submission. And then he was duly elected to office, with a full-throttled economic crisis at hand [the Great Depression]. Slowly but surely he seized the controls of government power, department by department, person by person, bureaucracy by bureaucracy. The kids joined a Youth Movement in his name , where they were taught what to think. How did he get the people on his side? He did it promising jobs to the jobless, money to the moneyless, and goodies for the military-industrial complex. He did it by indoctrinating the children, advocating gun control, health care for all, better wages, better jobs, and promising to re-instill pride once again in the country, across Europe , and across the world. He did it with a compliant media - Did you know that? And he did this all in the name of justice and .. . . change. And the people surely got what they voted for. (Look it up if you think I am exaggerating.) Read your history books. Many people objected in 1933 and were shouted down, called names, laughed at, and made fun of. When Winston Churchill pointed out the obvious in the late 1930s while seated in the House of Lords in England (he was not yet Prime Minister), he was booed into his seat and called a crazy troublemaker. He was right, though . Don't forget that Germany was the most educated, cultured country in Europe . It was full of music, art, museums, hospitals, laboratories, and universities. And in less than six years - a shorter time span than just two terms of the U. S. presidency - it was rounding up its own citizens, killing others, abrogating its laws, turning children against parents, and neighbors against neighbors. All with the best of intentions, of course. The road to Hell is paved with them. As a practical thinker, one not overly prone to emotional decisions, I have a choice: I can either believe what the objective pieces of evidence tell me (even if they make me cringe with disgust); I can believe what history is shouting to me from across the chasm of seven decades; or I can hope I am wrong, close my eyes, have another latte and ignore what is transpiring around me. Some people scoff at me; others laugh or think I am foolish, naive, or both. Perhaps I am. But I have never been afraid to look people in the eye and tell them exactly what I believe - and why I believe it. I pray I am wrong. I do not think I am. ===================================================================== About the author via Google... Pamela "Atlas" Geller began her publishing career at The New York Daily News and subsequently took over operation of The New York Observer as Associate Publisher. She left The Observer after the birth of her fourth child but remained involved in various projects including American Associates, Ben Gurion University and being Senior Vice-President Strategic Planning and Performance Evaluation at The Brandeis School. After 9/11, Atlas had the veil of oblivion violently lifted from her consciousness and immersed herself in the education and understanding of geopolitics, Islam, terror, foreign affairs and imminent threats the mainstream media and the government wouldn't cover or discuss. Her website, AtlasShrugged.com, winner of the "Best New Blog" 2005 Jewish and Israeli Blog Award and finalist in the 2005 Weblog Awards, is a counter terrorism site fighting the great fight, changing the world one word at a time. Leading authorities are regularly interviewed. She routinely confers with leading scholars on the Middle East, Islam, Eurabia , China and Russia . The objective of her website is to cover related but little reported events of great import. She provides an unblinking, glaring examination of global affairs and is a member of Pajamas Media. ________________________________________ Nothing says I love you like flowers! Find a florist near you now.
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Posted by:
The program's $15 registration fee will pay for the database software, On:
Tuesday, February 10, 2009 3:13 PM
Comment Title:
I hope The Eagle or someone follows up on this proposed software purchase or enhancement.
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Posted by:
On:
Tuesday, February 10, 2009 2:36 PM
Comment Title: NOT a Student
We have neighbors with RVs parked in drives that never move, one has a tarp over it, and gardens in front yards, a gorilla in front yard (Brothers Street)of a pair of school teachers and everyone want to bi..gripe about college students. Code enforcement is a joke and this is just another tax, the info is on cad, that is probably how the city will notify the owners when it is time to fine them!!! Elections are coming, hope we wake up.
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Posted by:
On:
Tuesday, February 10, 2009 9:52 AM
Comment Title:
This is to keep Bryan types out of CS. Make it so they can not afford it WE DO NOT NEED ANYMORE MEMBER OF THE BRYAN ASSOCATION OF FROMER TDCJ-INMATES IN CS DOING THE GOOD LIFE OF CRIME "BRYAN STYLE".
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Posted by:
On:
Tuesday, February 10, 2009 12:29 AM
Comment Title: Unfortunately the Exception; Not the Rule
I wish I could say college students aren't like the descriptions below, but most are. I'm a recent A&M graduate and I've lived in a 3 bed/3 bath single family home for almost four years that my parents own here in College Station. We rent out two of the bedrooms to pay the house payment, and I worked all through school to pay the majority of the annual property taxes/insurance and my personal bills. I like my neighbors, and used to babysit several of their children. Our lawn isn't the nicest, but we keep it neat. We don't have "parties", we have a few friends over on weekends for barbeques. I try to make sure as many cars as possible are in our driveway, our dog isn't barking incessantly during the day/night, and I usually end up picking up garbage from our neighbors' trash cans in our yard. So yes, responsible and mature college students DO exist, believe it or not. It really gets under my skin when other students/renters aren't as responsible and end up causing problems for the few people who are doing their best to afford to live in this town while they attend school!
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Posted by:
My Opinion On:
Monday, February 09, 2009 9:47 PM
Comment Title: My Opinion
I personally don't have a problem with any neighbor that takes care of the day to day chores need to keep up his or her residence. I do have a problem with any neighbor that hasn't learned to be responsible, polite, and respectful. I don't see why I have to be grateful to any neighbor because they pump money into the economy of this city or any other if that person doesn't know how to behave. These rental fees wouldn't be necessary if people who know they are temporary in any neighborhood would behave like they were truly invested and committed to the neighborhood. The value of my home is a risk when my neighbor, student or otherwise, does not mow the grass, parties constantly, tosses garbage around and doesn't keep up the appearance of the rental propery. Spending money in bars, clubs, restaurants, retail stores and on traffic violations are just a part of how students effect our community. The students need to be responsible in all areas if they want to carry on about how much they help our economy.
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Posted by:
High Fines in CS On:
Monday, February 09, 2009 9:07 PM
Comment Title: More College Station Heavy Handedness
I cannot believe there isn't any more outrage to this! The City of College Station has just imposed another involuntary tax and we get no say whatsoever. Besides that, I don't believe for one instance that Code Enforcement is not going to use the information to harass renters and swindle even more fines out local tenants. And before some Local Yocal pipes up with an "If you don't want fines obey the codes." You know that's a load as much as I do. I am honestly fed up with CoCS' heavy handedness and voters need to act up.
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Posted by:
On:
Monday, February 09, 2009 8:58 PM
Comment Title:
Just pass the cost to the renters. This will keep the low rent people in Bryan.
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Posted by:
On:
Monday, February 09, 2009 2:54 PM
Comment Title:
Mom, you are spot on.
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Posted by:
Mom On:
Monday, February 09, 2009 6:53 AM
Comment Title: Selective Tax?
The stated problems - water leak, parties, trash - also occur with property owners in residence. What if I own the property where my child lives, hence I don't collect rent -- is it "rental" property? Had I had the forsight to buy a 4-plex, I wouldn't need to register? I really don't mind registering my second property -- I do mind paying an extra tax. If it is necessary to have more detailed information than is available on the tax records, ALL CS PROPERTY owners should be required to register -- pay the fee.
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Posted by:
Jayro On:
Monday, February 09, 2009 6:22 AM
Comment Title: Mister Anonymous thinks Boston is a clean city???
You're joking, right? I lived in Boston for 2 years, and go back every year for a few weeks, and I can tell you this....the place is a dump. Get out of the metro and into the outlying regions and you'll see what Boston is really like...HUGE drug city.
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Posted by:
HH On:
Monday, February 09, 2009 2:48 AM
Comment Title: LandLord
Hey, Aggies and all renters, get ready for your rent to increase. Landlords cannot assorb the cost, we are in the business of making money, fees will be passed on to you
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Posted by:
Hit the road bub, and be happy. On:
Sunday, February 08, 2009 10:07 PM
Comment Title:
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Posted by:
Don't be stupid, move now On:
Sunday, February 08, 2009 9:47 PM
Comment Title:
You can get much better HUD housing wherever you move if you move while the economy is down elsewhere. Don't delay GO GO GO.
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Posted by:
On:
Sunday, February 08, 2009 9:36 PM
Comment Title:
I am a lifelong Bryan resident, my family has been here since the late 1800's. The city has become a ghetto with poverty. The school system is pathetic. About 1/3 of the population speak Spanish another 1/3 speak some form of unidentifiable English. As soon as the economy rebounds I am out of here. Of course good code enforcement will help the city of CS.
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Posted by:
On:
Sunday, February 08, 2009 9:03 PM
Comment Title:
I lived in Boston. It is over 300 years old and is cleaner. Code enforcement and working people keep this way. Lazy Drug type, non working people keep bryan up.
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Posted by:
On:
Sunday, February 08, 2009 7:26 PM
Comment Title: To code enforcement is the reason collge station......
Bryan Texas was incorporated in 1872 that makes Bryan 137 years old. For you people who live in cs, when were you made a city? 1938 for those of you who don't know the facts. With Bryan being predominately a farming and industrial town, and College Station being more of a town of education wouldn't yall think that there would be some type of landscape difference. Just because Bryan isn't as perfectly modern as CS, doesn't make the people worthless. Both towns have their fair share of problems and for those of you from CS who think your town is perfect it isn't. A lot of crap gets pushed under the table so the local public and outsiders don't know about it. If all the problems were out in the open CS would have a hard time recruiting buisnesses and personell to the community. Bryan on the other had is and industrialized town. It will tend to attract a rougher population. Yall in CS put your pants and dresses on just like anyone in Bryan. So get off yall's high and mighty soap box. Yall just live in a newer town.
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Posted by:
On:
Sunday, February 08, 2009 7:11 PM
Comment Title:
Oh quit your bitchin' and pay up. That's the price you pay for having rental property in your perfect city of CS. You're not going to change city hall so just pay.
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Posted by:
On:
Sunday, February 08, 2009 7:06 PM
Comment Title:
So you think code enforcement will stop College Station from becoming like Bryan? Newsflash... College Station will become just like Bryan as its property ages. They'll just spend lots more money getting there.
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Posted by:
On:
Sunday, February 08, 2009 6:16 PM
Comment Title:
Code enforcement is the reason College Station does not look like Bryan.
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Posted by:
On:
Sunday, February 08, 2009 6:04 PM
Comment Title:
Sounds like the city of College Station is trying to up their revenue so that some city employee can steal it.
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Posted by:
Bill Batchelor On:
Sunday, February 08, 2009 4:32 PM
Comment Title: Another unnecessary tax
The city had no problem contacting me when 1 of my tenets had a "kitchen" chair on their front porch. I was threatened with a code violation fine if the chair wasn't removed. BTW, in case you weren't aware, only "outside" furniture are allowed on your front porch. www.brazoscad.org has all the information anyone needs.
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Posted by:
On:
Sunday, February 08, 2009 1:53 PM
Comment Title:
How exactly, are these out-of-town landlords going to find out about this registration requirement that has a deadline less than 30 days away if they didn't just happen to read The Eagle on this particular day? What a racket!
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Posted by:
On:
Sunday, February 08, 2009 1:48 PM
Comment Title:
City employees gotta pay for their "humble working quarters" somehow.
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Posted by:
On:
Sunday, February 08, 2009 12:17 PM
Comment Title: Just another tax
Sounds like still more money the entities to be want to impose...After just paying 2500 in taxes on a rent house built in 1935 with no central air and heat,I don't feel too sorry for em
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Posted by:
On:
Sunday, February 08, 2009 11:34 AM
Comment Title: Question for Grump
"However, as long as they behave in such a manner that they have an adverse effect on neighbors' property values and do not conform to the norms of a neighborhood of adults and families, registration is needed. If students are unwilling to take care of a house, then they should live in apartments that cater to them." What about property owners that do not take care of their lawns, get to know their neighbors, take care of their house, etc.? At what point do you draw the line. This town is built around the university, and would be a pasture if not for it.
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Posted by:
On:
Sunday, February 08, 2009 11:17 AM
Comment Title:
"landlord registry would help maintain quality neighborhoods by adding a level of accountability for landlords" and could be used to stop them from become slum areas like Bryan.
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Posted by:
Grump On:
Sunday, February 08, 2009 11:05 AM
Comment Title: To David
Perhaps when college students are responsible enough to properly maintain their lawns and landscape, put their cars in the garage where they belong, get to know their neighbors, and otherwise be good citizens, then perhaps such registration would not be necessary. However, as long as they behave in such a manner that they have an adverse effect on neighbors' property values and do not conform to the norms of a neighborhood of adults and families, registration is needed. If students are unwilling to take care of a house, then they should live in apartments that cater to them.
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Posted by:
On:
Sunday, February 08, 2009 10:58 AM
Comment Title:
Unfortunately, it is $15 per property per year.
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Posted by:
On:
Sunday, February 08, 2009 10:56 AM
Comment Title: Brazos CAD
The first comment is absolutely correct. The owner information is available on-line already. The city doesn't seem to have a problem contacting me when one of my tenants leaves their garbage can out on the street a little too long or if they let their grass gets a bit high. The city should take care of some of their own problems.
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Posted by:
On:
Sunday, February 08, 2009 10:55 AM
Comment Title:
If it is $15 per owner, owning multiple properties, and not per property, that's not bad. Brazos County Records are probably not up to date for phone #'s for contacting owners in the event of emergencies.
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Posted by:
On:
Sunday, February 08, 2009 9:50 AM
Comment Title: Ridiculous
"There could be an incident, like a busted water pipe, and no one would be home and we don't even know where to start to get ahold of anybody," Simms said. Property owners are registered on the CAD. I can find the name and address of any property owner in College Station and all I need is internet access. I find it remarkable that the "assistant director of planning and development services" does not know of THIS service. I cannot believe this community continues to bite the hand that feeds it.
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Posted by:
David C. Nelson On:
Sunday, February 08, 2009 9:36 AM
Comment Title: Those poor homeowners!
Pity the unfortunate advocates of "neighborhood integrity" in this university town. They chose to move to the city with the second-largest university in the state, one with dormitory rooms for less than 20% of its students. They profit from its relatively recession-proof economic climate, as there's always a steady supply of student money flowing into the local economy. (There are 20,000 applications for next year's freshman class). Yet, some homeowners can't seem to understand that there's small price to pay for relative prosperity they enjoy. Yes, there will be student parties, parking problems on the streets, and some less-than-desirable yard maintenance. I imagine that some hard-hit towns around the country might consider this to be a good trade off. After all, there is a recession going on, in case the good homeowners of College Station haven't noticed. Good luck with your rental registry, and when you quit complaining about those pesky students, count your blessings.
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