Scott City landlords may form group that would help properties avoid some inspections

A not-for-profit landlord association could form at a Thursday meeting in Scott City as city officials and a group of landlords hope to keep properties in town from deteriorating.

Scott City Mayor Tim Porch said he and other city officials called for a meeting in April with landlords over deteriorating buildings. In order to stay within city code, Porch said, the city council was debating whether to hire a private inspection company to inspect rental properties when tenants moved out.

Porch said the city does not have the capacity to inspect properties every time tenants change and that if a company were hired, the price of each inspection would be about $50 and could drive up rents.

Paul Schock, the president of the steering committee for the not-for-profit group, said the Scott City Landlord Association would be created to inform landlords how to maintain properties and avoid inspections.

"A lot of the landlords don't know what the city codes are right now," said Schock, who owns eight apartments in Scott City.

If the association gets landlords to clean up, Porch said, a private inspection company wouldn't be hired.

Robert Hodo, Scott City's building inspector, said six buildings have been condemned since April. Four have been demolished and two are being fixed, he said.

As the Scott City Police Department's nuisance officer for the past year and a half, Mike Culler said he has issued a lot of warnings and tickets to tenants for front yards with grass taller than the legal limit of seven inches. Another common violation is a front yard with excess debris, he said.

Porch said other problems with rental properties have included exposed electrical wiring, plumbing that doesn't work and holes in floors "that a kid could fall through."

Association goals

Betty Jackson, vice president of the steering committee, said the association would like to set up an agreement with the city police in which landlords are given warnings to give to their tenants. That could speed up reconstruction efforts, she said. Currently, landlords aren't informed when their properties receive warnings.

Schock said in order to achieve better communication the association would like to give city police a list of contact information for landlords and their tenants.

Being a member of the association would cost $50 a year, which has made it less appealing to some landlords, Jackson said.

"Money's hard to come by right now in a recession," she said. "We have to convince them that it's worthwhile."

Schock said membership fees would be used to invite landlord experts to give talks at meetings, publish a quarterly newsletter and start a website. Schock said part of the website would contain landlord information accessible only by members.

Schock said he is hoping Culler would be able to attend meetings.

Information on the website would include landlord advice from members, ethical and safety guidelines and a list of "problem tenants," according to the association's membership applications.

Ward 2 Councilman Bill Schwartz, who is the landlord of four houses in the city, said he would join the association because he thinks it would make members keep their properties in better condition.

Porch said the association would pressure members to keep their properties in better shape, which would help get "better renters."

Not becoming a member

Paula Woods said she has no intention of joining the association because she thinks it would cause some landlords to earn less money. Woods said the association would raise the level of appropriate housing for landlords, which the city would then use as a standard to issue warnings and tickets.

"Not everybody has a lot of money," Woods said. "I feel like it's putting the burden on me."

Porch said the city would be "partners with the organization" but that wouldn't change its obligation to current safety and health regulations.

The steering committee has sent letters regarding the Oct. 8 meeting to around 70 landlords, Schock said. He said he is hoping about 40 landlords join.

The meeting is at 7 p.m. Thursday and will be held at city hall in Scott City. For more information about the meeting, click "city news" on the city's website, scottcitymo.org.