SOMETIMES "NO" NEEDS TO MEAN "NO" EVEN TO KENNEDY-WARREN LANDLORDS

Written by Jim McGrath Friday, 04 September 2009 16:20

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            After losing a landmark ruling this past spring by District Rent Administrator Grayce Wiggins, who struck down its so-called "Voluntary Agreement," landlord B.F. Saul is at it again, trying to shirk D.C.'s Rent Control laws while handing the Kennedy-Warren tenants a raw deal at the same time.  This time the charade is "Judge Shopping" - having not gotten what they wanted before, landlord Saul is now attempting to end-run around the Rent Administrator, trying to submit a "Revised Voluntary Agreement" to a court that lacks jurisdiction.  And if that fails, Saul has told the Kennedy-Warrant tenants that they might go after the valiant Grayce Wiggins  herself - for her job.

          "Voluntary Agreements" are a sham, where tenants usually give up far more than they get.  They are tailor-made to insure "factionalism" playing off one group of tenants against another.  Now B.F. Saul has upped the ante, trying to manipulate the city's government for its own ends.  "Market-rate" is the "Holy Grail" for landlords, but the market has become a casino, and the landlords are breaking the bank at Monte Carlo.

          Kudos to the valiant Kennedy-Warren tenants who continue to stand fast in the face of a landlord backed by the wealth and influence of Chevy Chase Bank.  We need affordable housing, not Rockefeller-class condominiums. Remember, housing is not a commodity.  We are not talking about oil futures, pork bellies, or gold bullion, we are talking about the roof over people's heads.