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A judge is still reviewing all the paperwork, and a court date has not yet been set.
‘Get a handle’
Fred Bennett, a managing member of the Bennett Group LLC, said he was against the rental ordinance at first.
He said the property management company initially pushed back, saying, “This is a tax. This is an overreach by the government.”
Another reason was the potential financial impact on the company, he said.
Bennett has worked in Lee County since 1969 and has four rental properties in Opelika with a total of about 200 units.
The ordinance states that the owner of the rental dwelling unit will have to pay $50 per unit for the initial inspection and one reinspection. For any additional follow-up reinspections, the cost is $25.
The ordinance also states that a unit will not be subject to inspection more often than every three years.
Bennett said the company’s primary focus is the development of affordable housing, and that it takes “a lot of pride in maintaining the quality” of its properties and already has multiple inspections from investors.
“For those that are doing a good job, this is a penalty, but the reason that I have come to support it as strongly as I have is because of this other situation that you’re reporting on,” Bennett told the Opelika-Auburn News, referring to stories of renters living in squalid conditions. “In this case, I actually think it’s the best way to get a handle on the problem.”
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Sources 2/ https://oanow.com/news/local/opelikas-new-rental-ordinance-draws-praise-and-criticism/article_08a532a8-8b76-11ec-96f8-bf4c69e22f72.html The mention sources can contact us to remove/changing this article |
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