Published: 02.27.2004
By Howard Fischer
CAPITOL MEDIA SERVICES
PHOENIX - State lawmakers are trying to label people who rent to more than three
sex offenders as slumlords.
The proposed law would carry stiff fines and the potential of having a judge
find someone else to run the property.
The legislation, approved 7-2 Thursday by the House Judiciary Committee, is
designed to find some legal way of preventing the "clustering" of
those convicted of sex crimes.
Several individuals testified about apartment complexes near their homes which
appear to cater to sex offenders. One in north-central Phoenix has 28.
Rep. Deb Gullett, R-Phoenix, said there are constitutional problems with placing
restrictions on where sex offenders can live - particularly if they are no longer
on probation even though they still are required to register.
This plan, she said, gets around that problem by restricting not the offender
but the landlord.
This approach uses existing laws that define slum properties as those with problems
ranging from structurally unsound walls and floors and lack of drinking water
to hazardous gas connections or an accumulation of human or animal waste.
HB 2418 would add renting to more than three registered sex offenders in the
same or adjacent complexes to the list.
Landlords would be subject to immediate $10,000 fines with additional $5,000
penalties per month.
The legislation also requires a judge to appoint a receiver to operate the property
"for as long as the court deems necessary."
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