Athmar Park

Landlord Project Update

Nov 06, 2005

by Carol e Campbell

On September 1, 2005, I mailed 287 copies of a newly updated Landlord Training Manual to the owners of over 300 rental properties in our neighborhood. In the accompanying letter of explanation, also signed by our police commander and two councilwomen, owners unable to use the CD were invited to contact APNA for a hard copy of the manual. The manuals were provided free of charge. This is a project whose affect we cannot measure by tangible means; however, if rental property owners will use the information and forms in the manual to evict problem tenants and then properly screen potential tenants in the future, the ramifications of the project will have positive impacts on our neighborhood for years to come.

Many people in our neighborhood donated time and resources to make this ambitious project a reality. DPD provided us with the manual and permission to reproduce it. Rick Taylor spent endless hours on the property records search along with help from Sandy Ruff and Peter Smith at Washington Mutual Bank. Karen Cuthbertson updated and reformatted the manual. The updated version has been provided to DPD. Neighborhood residents donated $647 to purchase the CDs, mailers, stationary, printing, and postage. Councilmembers Rodriguez and Linkhart funded the printing of the hard copies. Debi Drewes, Ana Gonzales, Pat Ayers, Lloyd Greenwood, Rick, Karen, and I burned CDs. Sam & Dianne Jameson, Tracy Cochran, Debi, Rick, Karen, and Rick, Karen, and I prepared the mailing.

I am happy to report that we have received only positive feedback from rental property owners and--in fact--several have even sent in unsolicited donations! Very special thanks to AP residents who sent in donations to fund the project.