Owners of Rental Properties can benefit from others' experience
According to the chapter's vice president, Jay Lieberman, "Many members are just Moms and Pops who own income properties." Members of the Clatsop County Rental Owners Association include owners of rental homes, vacation properties, commercial developments and property management firms. The organization was formed twenty years ago and is currently part of 17 chapters, called branches, that make up the Oregon Rental Housing Association. The statewide association was also formed 20 years ago and currently includes over 3,500 members statewide. If you wish to sign up for membership in the organization, dues will be based on your number of rental units. Dues range from $45 per year for one to six units, up to $155 per year for landlords with 100 or more units. Membership in the branch includes automatic membership in the statewide organization, a newsletter, networking opportunities and a free forms manual.
The Columbia County branch was formed three years ago and achieved 50 members. The problem with that chapter, according to a past officer of the branch, is the bulk of the membership was in name-only, with the work and the participation falling to a core group of three or four individuals. That group is currently disbanded. Members of that group now generally attend activities of the Portland area branch when there are activities in which they would like to participate.
The Clatsop County branch is going strong, however, and currently has over 75 active members. They represent over 1,200 income properties in Clatsop County.
Members receive specially-compiled law books and forms to be as prepared as possible for issues that may arise from becoming a landlord. Quarterly dinner meetings include round-table discussions on landlord-related topics, fellowship and guest speakers.
Topics include how to: save money; evict a bad tenant; set rental rates; screen prospective tenants; and "say no" without getting into trouble with the folks at the fair housing office. "We include programs and information that will keep us out of trouble and keep our tenants happy," said Gretchen Baker, Clatsop County branch president.
The Clatsop County branch has recently formed a Buyer's Club which provides contractor-grade discounts on purchases made through affiliation with the branch. You must show your CCROA membership card when making your purchases to rec- eive the discount. Participating vendors include: Pacific Paint, Gearhart; Scott's Coast Hardware, Seaside; Edmonson's Drapery, Clackamas; Sears Commercial Appliances, contract sales division; Seaside Paint & Decorating, Seaside; Tony's True Value Home Center, Seaside; Associated Credit Systems, Medford; Maintenance Warehouse, San Diego; Legal Services/Ty Settles, Seaside; Columbia Safe & Security Service, Seaside; Appliances from Roehm's Furnishings, Seaside; Computer Power, Seaside; Cleaning Services/Nancy Macavoy-Hudgins, Seaside; Handyman Services/Jack Coons, Warrenton; House Painting/John Babick, Seaside; Yards by Brooks' Fields, Seaside; Custom Roofing, Seaside; Pro-Fresh Carpet Care, Seaside; Nor'West Paint & Decor, Seaside. Other Vendors are joining the ranks daily. Please check with an officer of CCROA for an updated list.
The group is in the process of developing a website for member information and they are affiliated with Oregon lobbyists who participate in landlord-related legislation. There is a quarterly newsletter mailed to the membership and the meetings are held the first Monday of the last month of each quarter. The next meeting of the Clatsop County branch will be June 7.
On Saturday, April 17, the group is hosting an afternoon Fair Housing Seminar at the Emerald Heights Conference Room in Astoria, Oregon. The seminar will run from 1:00 to 5:00 pm and the fee is $30 per person, including the seminar, materials and refreshments. Members of the CCROA may register for a discounted $20 fee. There is a $5 discount if registration is completed before April 13.
The speaker for the event will be Cynthia Ingebretson, the executive director of the Fair Housing Council of Oregon. The Fair Housing Council is a statewide non-profit corporation in which the membership seeks to increase access to housing by fighting illegal housing discrimination. Ms. Ingebretson has been involved in fair housing enforcement since 1991, when she became director of the Fair Housing Testing Project, and she has been director of the FH Council since May, 1993. She is an attorney with the Oregon State Bar since 1982 and a member of the Multnomah County Bar Association. She attended Northwestern College of Law of Lewis and Clark College and the University of California, Berkeley.
Topics for the afternoon include fair housing basics, why the fair housing law is important, potential trouble spots for landlords, among others.
Persons wishing to sign up for the seminar should contact Jay Lieberman at 503/717-9229. LCB
Clatsop County Rental Owners Association
Principals: Gretchen Baker, president
Jay Lieberman, vice presidentLandlords Learn
Address: P. O. Box 177
Seaside, OR 97138
Telephone: 503/717-0927 or 717-9229
Fax: 503/717-0299
Meetings: First Monday, the last month of each quarter, various locations
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