We know that many of you bring significant expertise and experience that will help us craft the best policy possible for our city.While I can't find anything on the city's website about this proposed Renter's Protection Ordinance, I did find a Star Tribune story that gives a little detail on what is being proposed-Does anyone have details on this?

The law exists to protect the public from predatory behavior, not to prevent them from voicing their experience or opinion.The Virginia Supreme Court defines the "practice of law" as: One is deemed to be practicing law whenever.(1) One undertakes for compensation, direct or indirect, to advise another not his regular employer, in any matter involving the application of legal principles to facts or purposes or desires.(2) One, other than as a regular employee acting for his employer, undertakes, with or without compensation, to prepare for another legal instruments of any character, other than notices or contract incident to regular course of conducting a licensed business(3) One undertakes, with or without compensation, to represent the interest of another before [a tribunal, as hereinafter defined in UPC 1-1,] otherwise than in the presentation of facts, figures, or factual conclusions, as distinguished from legal conclusions, by an employee regularly Ö employed on a salary basis, or by one specially employed as an expert in respect to such facts and figures when such presentation by such employee or expert does not involve the examination of witnesses or preparation of pleadings.Virginia UPL Opinion 48. http://www.vsb.org/site/regulation/virginia-upl-opinion-48So, don't advise people on the law for money, don't prepare legal documents and don't attempt to represent people in courts or tribunals in Virginia without a license and you're not breaking any laws.Indeed, the very purpose of this community is to advise each other.

there was a huge front page article in Minneapolis Star-tribune about a landlord that raised the rent on his apartments in one building $125.00 a month, and how Minneapolis inner city is running out of affordable housing in the lower income are spots.

Landlords in Quebec have to disclose the previous rent and you can be forced to give it to them.It is very difficult to raise rents year over year in Québec, there is a formula provided by the housing tribunal that you have to use in order to justify your rent increase.

The person who you gave the opinion to can make you confront the real estate tribunal.

Thats coming from the Chicago Tribune references so it is what it is.That being said, the one thing I'm not seeing anyone mention here are the other risks investing in Chicago - both from a city, county and state level.1) The landlord laws in Chicago/Cook County are some of the absolute worst in the country.

Or grab a current copy of the Wyoming Tribune Eagle and in the classified section look under Legal Notices...

More of a public service announcement of sorts, but I wanted to see if anyone had any thoughts about this- I just read a story in the Star Tribune about the settlement of a class-action lawsuit involving tenants claiming a violation of fair housing laws when a developer bought an apartment building in Richfield and gentrified the property.http://www.startribune.com/former-richfield-apartm...Does anyone have any insight into the case?

When a tenant does not pay rent, WHY does a landlord have to wait 14 days for an N4 and wait again another 21 days for an L1 and pay $175 filling fees, plus paralegal costs and still wait for a tribunal date?

Or grab a newspaper (The Argus, Tribune, or Mercury News) and look in the classifieds under legal notices.