Recent Court Rulings

PHA Not Required to Modify Affirmative Action Plan

September 27, 2012    
Facts: In 1974, a group of residents sued the Toledo Metropolitan Housing Authority and HUD for segregating minorities from non-minorities when building and doling out housing. At the time, the court ruled for the residents and ordered adherence to an Affirmative Action Plan (AAP) designed to...
Recent Court Rulings

Owner Not Liable for Discriminatory Retaliation

September 27, 2012    
Facts: A disabled resident sued the owner and management of a low-income senior housing site for discrimination and retaliation. After receiving an announcement that the site was opening its Section 8 waiting list, the resident completed an application for the Section 8 housing. He claimed he got a...
Feature

Avoid Four Common Mistakes When Evicting Residents

September 18, 2012    
All site owners at one time or another must take the unpleasant step of evicting a resident. You may have to evict a resident for one of a number of lease violations, such as nonpayment of rent, excessive noise, or criminal activity. Whatever your grounds for eviction, you want to do everything you...
Crime & Security

What to Do if You Find a "Meth" Lab at Your Site

September 18, 2012    
Methamphetamine (meth) use has crept up the social ladder and now can be found at all social strata. The meth problem is pervasive. Meth-making operations have been uncovered in all 50 states. And according to a nationwide survey of 500 law-enforcement agencies in 45 states by the National...
Income Calculations

How to Track Assets Disposed of for Less than Fair Market Value

September 18, 2012    
HUD-assisted households are required to report all income from all sources to the owner or manager during certification or recertification. One component of annual income is any income the household’s assets generate. And sometimes, households may dispose of assets for less than fair market...
Recent Court Rulings

Owner Liable for Self-Help Eviction

September 18, 2012    
Facts: A Section 8 resident signed a one-year lease, which required her to pay a security deposit and $465 each month. Shortly after moving in, the resident thought she heard bats in the walls of her unit.  She began to run the water for extended periods of time, including overnight, in an...
Recent Court Rulings

Hearing Officer Violated Resident's Due Process Rights

September 18, 2012    
Facts: After a hearing, a PHA terminated a resident’s Section 8 voucher and denied her request for reasonable accommodation. The resident then sued the PHA for allegedly violating her due process rights.
The Trainer

The Trainer — October 2012

September 18, 2012    
AVOIDING MISTAKES WHEN EVICTING RESIDENTS; DEALING WITH A "METH" LAB ON SITE In this month’s feature, we discussed how to avoid common mistakes that jeopardize your right to evict a resident. Whatever your grounds for eviction, you must follow certain steps to ensure the eviction...
Feature

Review Contractor Invoices for Common Overbilling Errors

August 15, 2012    
Sometimes contractors accidentally overbill you. Less frequently, but still too often, they may even try to cheat you. Being the victim of overbilling practices not only costs you lots of money, it can also lead to audit problems. Auditors pore over contractor invoices to make sure they back up the...
Maintenance

Avoid Violations During HUD Inspections with Last-Minute Site Checkup

August 15, 2012    
You may think that because you take good care of your site, conduct regular inspections, and promptly fix problems, you’re prepared for your site’s upcoming HUD inspection. But it’s important to give your site a last-minute once-over to make sure you catch any problems before the...