HomeMy WebLinkAbout05-19-25 Public Comment - R. Gregoire - Comments on Right to Counsel (RTC)From:Rob Gregoire
To:Bozeman Public Comment; Rob Gregoire
Subject:[EXTERNAL]Comments on Right to Counsel (RTC)
Date:Saturday, May 17, 2025 9:10:37 AM
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Hello Mayor Cunningham, Deputy Mayor Morrison, and Commissioners,
I was the second speaker on May 13th, but would like to follow up. I’ve been a landlord in
Bozeman for about 22 years. I have two duplexes.
1) As I mentioned in my verbal comments, “ma and pa” landlords are an important partof affordable housing. Their rents are often below market. Mine are significantly below
market ($500/month) and my friends’ rents are also hundreds below market. Protecting thesesmall landlords is important to create affordable housing.
2) I have no strong objection for RTC for tenants facing eviction, but I feel if it is extended to
general grievances it will invite abuse that small landlords aren’t equipped to deal with, andthey will sell to professional managers.
3) I saw a comment in the paper by Mayor Cunningham that suggested making mediation
available to landlords, presumably to attempt a resolution without going to court. This soundslike an excellent idea. Folks like me don’t know a lot about the finer details of the law.
4) As you may know, an LLC can still be a “ma and pa” operation. Also, a property
management license is required in order to manage five or more units so that might be a goodthreshold for ma/pa vs corporate.
5) The presentation data showed that 90% of Bozeman eviction actions were for non-payment.
(A report on the RTC section on the ALCU website claims 80% over their study area.). Thismakes me wonder if RTC will accomplish anything. You have to pay the rent or leave, and if
that can’t be done I don’t understand how RTC can prevent evictions. However, a mediationwhere both sides are educated on the law and implications of an eviction could facilitate a
smooth exit.
6) Also working against RTC’s effectiveness is Montana’s pro-landlord laws. You can even beevicted for verbal abusing a landlord! However, mediation intended to educate both parties
could be helpful.