FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER6, 2002
NEWS
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN 34
Good neighbor ordinances keep neighbors in check
By Lindsey Hodel
Kansan staff writer
The city of Lawrence can issue tickets for not being a "good neighbor," but sometimes offenders don't know they are breaking the law.
The city's Good Neighbor ordinances are city laws that include restrictions on excessive noise, problems with litter, parking on lawns and having furniture on porches.
The police department enforces most of these laws, but the city's Neighborhood Resources Department also plays a role in code compliance. They
register houses for single family ordinance laws, which is also a part of the Good Neighbor Ordinance.
Barry Walshal, code enforcement manager with the Neighborhood Resources Department, said the department tended to see an increase in violations around the beginning of the school year. Fines for violation range from $2 to $100.
Dylan Desmond, Overland Park junior, said he had no idea of some of the good neighbor ordinances before he and his roommates received a ticket for having a couch on their porch last year at his former house on
the corner 14th and Kentucky streets.
"At first I thought they were just picking on us," Desmond said. "But then I found out the city has a law against it."
Desmond also said he was disappointed with some of the city's laws.
He said he didn't think the city had a right to tell him what he could have on his porch, although he thought some of the laws made sense.
"I can understand laws against excessive noise because there are so many elementary schools around." Desmond said.
Desmond said the city should
also pass out a list of the ordinances to new tenants or at leaserenewal time to make residents more aware of the laws.
Lisa Patterson, communications coordinator for the city, said the city wanted to make students more aware of the ordinances so they didn't become offenders.
"The ordinances are in place so neighborhoods maintain the characteristics that make them good neighborhoods," Patterson said.
Alvaro Berg, Sanpiago, Chile senior, said the city should revise the zoning of the laws.
Berg said his band practiced on
ns porch, but had not received any noise complaints from neighbors.
"I live in the student ghetto, and things like trash and noise don't really matter that much," he said. "The city should consider the applicability of laws before they enforce them."
Patterson said students who wanted to learn more about the city's laws could go onto the city's Web site and search for city codes at www.lawrenceks.org.
Contact Hodel at
model@kansan.com. This story was edited by Christina Neff.
Good Neighbor Ordinances:
No more than three unrelated persons in dwelling unit in residential zoning districts
Residential hearing order
Excessive noise constituting disturbance of peace
Prohibition of certain loud sound amplification systems from vehicles
Litter
Parking vehicle on street for more than 48 hours
Prohibition against leaving junk, abandoned vehicles, furniture and appliances in the yard and/or front porch
Abandoned iceboxes and refrigerators
Students can obtain legal help with getting deposits returned
Animals cannot run at large
By Matt Stumpff
Kansan staff writer
Tenants are showing up at Legal Services for Students trying to prevent their landlords from cashing in.
At the beginning of every school year, Legal Services for Students receives questions about landlords' deductions from students' deposits.
jo Hardesty, director and managing attorney of Legal Services for Students, said state law required landlords to return deposit checks no later than one month after the end of the lease.
Katie O'Bryan, Overland Park senior, said she was furious when her landlord took $420 out of her $600 deposit.
"I even cleaned the five years worth of dirt in the window sill," O'Bryan said. "I should charge them for what I did to the apartment instead of them charging me."
Landlords mustgive tenants an itemized list of actual damages when returning deposits. Most cases hinge on debates over whether damages to an apartment were actual damage or normal wear and tear.
Michelle Patterson, leasing agent for Master Plan Management, said Master Plan had received two or three damage inquiries from former tenants since the mailings. Master Plan operates about 500 apartments in Lawrence.
Hardesty said that, if students questioned landlords deductions, they should contact Legal Services for Students before cashing their deposit checks.
Depositing the check could be interpreted as acceptance of the landlord's charges.
tled most issues with landlords before having to go to court, she said. If the dispute goes to court, students pay $15 for a Legal Services for Students attorney to represent them.
Legal Services for Students set-
Students can also take their landlord to small claims court without legal representation.
One student who did not have legal representation ran into more problems than he bargained for.
"He didn't realize the landlord counterclaimed against him," she said. "He ended up losing more money when the landlord pointed out more damages that weren't charged for initially."
Legal Services for Students is located at 148 Burge Union.
Contact Stumpff at mstumpff@kansan.com. This story was edited by Andrew Vaupel.
Jewish New Year begins tonight
By Aaron Passman Kansan staff writer
By the traditional calendar year there are still three months left in 2002, but for many Jewish students at the University of Kansas the new year begins tonight.
Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, begins at sunset and marks the start of the year 5763 on the Jewish calendar. KU Hillel, in conjunction with the Lawrence Jewish Community Center, has many traditional activities planned, including a dinner tonight and several services throughout the weekend.
Jay Lewis, executive director for Hillel, said Rosh Hashanah was a time when Jews took stock in their lives of what they had done in previous years. He said it was significant not only because of personal introspection, but also for coming together with the Jewish community as a whole.
Lewis said the dinner would be chicken, kugel, honey cake, challah and other traditional Jewish foods, and would be served by the Union catering staff.
The dinner will take place at 5:30 tonight at the Big 12 room in the Kansas Union. Admission to the dinner is $10 in advance and $12 at the door, and Lewis said plenty of space was still available.
After tonight's dinner Lewis said students and Hillel staff would caravan to the Lawrence Jewish Community Center for Rosh Hashanah services.
Ally Tash, Jewish Campus Service Corps fellow for Hillel, said the group had been promoting their Rosh Hashanah activities with tables on campus and in
"Our new rabbi has a commitment in St. Joseph, Missouri this weekend, so we'll be having a layed service this year, led by members of the community," said Neil Shanberg, president of the LJCC board.
the dorms, as well as through flyers and e-mail. Tash said she expected about 50 to 60 students to attend tonight's dinner. Tash said more than 100 came to last year's dinner, but expected less.
"Because it's on a weekend a lot more students are going home than usual." Tash said.
"For all the students who can't make it home for the holidays this is a great way for them to get together and celebrate Rosh Hashanah as a community," she said.
Michelle Domb, Dallas sophomore, said she liked the service Hillel provided for Jewish Jayhawks.
"People always know they'll have Hillel if they can't make it home." Domb said.
For more information, contacttKU Hillel at 749-5397.
Contact Passman at apassman@kansan.com. This story was edited by Andy Samuelson.
Cut this portion out and return to us Thr University Daily Kansan. 119 Stauffer-Flint
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