Use help for safe leasing
THE POST
Meet Joe and Fred Bobcat. Joe and Fred are both Ohio University sophomores, and like many students, they were starting the adventure of looking for off-campus housing.
Joe, being an outgoing and clever cat, decided to do his housing homework first.
He heard around campus and read in the newspaper that students need to be careful when looking for a house and signing a lease. But he also knew there are places students can go to get help.
So Joe trotted over to his freshman buddy's room and used his computer to find housing guidelines. Joe tried the OU Student Senate off-campus housing Web site,
http://www.ent.ohiou.edu/~senate/OCH/index.html.
Here, to Joe's delight, he found many useful links like "landlord and property evaluations and how to protect your security deposit," and the "Center for Student Advocacy,"
(http://www.frognet.net/~csa).
Armed with information, Joe set out on his housing quest, informed about off-campus housing. When Joe found a house he and his fellow cats liked, he got a copy of the lease. Before he signed it, he took it to CSA to make sure it had no loopholes.
Joe also did some research through the Office of Code Enforcement to see if his prospective house had any major housing code violations.
CSA gave Joe the thumbs-up on the lease. But before Joe and his housemates signed it, he made sure all verbal agreements between he and the landlord were written down and gave copies to his future housemates.
Fred, however, prowled down a different road. He wanted a house that was big, cheap and close to Uptown. All Fred did was look in the classified ads for places to rent. He and his friends blindly signed the first lease they found.
While Joe's house might not be perfect, he knows what to do, whom to call and what his rights are. If Fred has trouble, it is his own fault for not utilizing the available resources.
Students, don't follow Fred's footsteps. Contact the Center for Student Advocacy, 8 N. Court St, Suite #413, at 594-8093 or visit Student Senate's office at 310 Baker Center. Athens Code Enforcement, 28 Curran Drive, also can help. Call 592-3306.
Park permit foolish
THE POST
When families in the state of New York pack their picnic basket for their next outing, they better make sure there is a city permit among the sandwiches and lemonade.
A hearing has been scheduled to clarify the little-known New York law that requires any group of 20 or more people to pay a fee and apply for a permit 30 days in advance.
This proposal would require a $25 permit above the cost of reservations, for any contest, parade, athletic competition, reading or picnic involving more than 20 people.
While reservations are necessary, the idea of requiring permits is ridiculous - especially for places like Central Park in New York City where there are no pavilions.
Athens City Parks charge between $10 and $30 for use of their pavilions, but they do not require a permit. This is reasonable for maintenance and repairs.
But requiring a permit crosses the line. It would just separate people from New York parks instead of encouraging families to take advantage of what they have to offer. If the city is concerned about money, it should consider asking for donations for park use.
While clarifying the need for permits, New York also should consider exempting a park with the magnitude of Central Park from both permits and reservations.
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