Volume 125 Issue 17
kansan.com
Monday, September 17, 2012
A skydiver prepares to land in Memorial Stadium before the game on Saturday morning, Sep. 15, Kansas played its first conference game this season against TCU. The Horned Frogs defeated the Jayhawks 20-6.
the student voice since 1904
TARA BRYANT/KANSAN
OFF-CAMPUS LIVING
TENANT TERROR
Legal battles ensue between landlords and tenants over damage charges
NIKKI WENTLING
nwentling@kansan.com
By now, students have signed new leases and moved into new apartments. They pay rent to a new landlord, and should receive security deposits back from their old one.
However, this is not the case for some students, like Blaine Criss, a senior from Salina. Criss recently received a bill of about $800 from The Grove, his previous apartment complex, for damages.
Criss said some of the charges
— mattress replacement, blind replacement, kitchen cleaning and carpet cleaning — were unfounded. Over the past two weeks, Criss sent five unanswered emails to the general manager, asking her to justify the total amount.
Criss is not in an uncommon situation.
"If I don't receive an email from the GM that signifies that she has recognized what I have complained about, they will not see a dime from me," Criss said. "It's outrageous."
"I've been here 10 years, and we've seen more of that problem this year than in past years," Larzalere said.
Bill Larazale, chief litigation attorney for Student Legal Services, said landlords have a 30-day cushion after a lease ends to return security deposits or send charges to previous tenants. Now, leases are completed, those 30 days have passed and students, more so than in previous years, have not received their deposits.
I BELIEVE I CAN FLY
NO SECURITY DEPOSIT, NO GOOD
Larzalere said there is an increasing number of cases
where students, like Criss, deal with landlords who did not charge security deposits. The lack of a security deposit allows the landlord to charge tenants for damages with no set limit.
"That is a trend this year," Larzalere said. "We have lots and lots of people coming in about that."
If tenants do not pay these additional charges, landlords could take them to small claims court or negatively affect their credit scores without going to court. Landlords also have the authority to try to collect the payment for the next five years.
To fight these charges, Larzalere said to contact a lawyer to help with negotiations to lower the payment. To avoid this situation, Larzalere said to be cautious of leasing with a landlord who does not charge a security deposit.
an additional 1.5 percent times the deposit.
WITHHOLDING DEPOSITS
Mandy Matney, a 2012 University graduate, did have a security deposit, but her landlord withheld a portion of it for damages. Matney and her three rommates lived in a house near Memorial Stadium owned by Big Blue Student Rentals. They had a combined $1,800 security deposit, and their landlords withheld about $600.
"The house was absolutely disgusting when we moved in," Matney said. "I swear it was cleaner when we left. My roommates and I spent days cleaning because we wanted our security deposit back. It was completely unfair how much she took out."
Tim and Tracy Coldsnow, who own and manage Big Blue Student Rentals properties, have rented houses to students for 23 years. Tim said that they do not have a history of withholding deposits.
its is not something we've ever wanted to do or needed to do" Tim said. "In the past 20-some years that we've done this, we've probably returned on average 80 to 85 percent of deposits. When we do withhold a good amount of a deposit, it means their house was left filthy."
According to the Kansas Residential Landlord & Tenant Act, if a landlord fails to return a security deposit, or if the deposit is wrongfully withheld, a tenant will receive the deposit back, plus
"So, if you had a $400 deposit, you would get that $400 back, plus another $600," Larzalere said.
To get the deposit back, a tenant must file a petition to go to small claims court, or have a lawyer write a demand letter to the landlord.
Tim said he and his wife were taken to court once for withholding a deposit, and that it was a learning experience.
we have, we have to be really professional about it, especially when dealing with students." Tim
"To be in this for as long as
SEE TENANT PAGE 8
Chancellor discusses University's future
FIRESIDE CHATS
In efforts to increase conversation and information sharing between the student body and University administration, Chancellor Bernadette Gray-Little has agreed to a series of "Fireside Chats" with The University Daily Kansan to support a more direct line of communication.
NIKKI WENTLING
nwentling@kansan.com
In the first "Fireside Chat" of the semester, Chancellor Bernadette Gray-Little met with The Kansan to discuss current campus issues,
progress with Bold Aspirations and the outlook for the rest of the school year.
U. S. News & World Report released the "Best Colleges 2013" rankings on Sept. 12. According to the report, the University is the top-ranked in Kansas. Overall, the University scored one point less than last year, moving its ranking from 46th to 51st among public universities.
UNIVERSITY RANKING
teria pulled from the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching Classifications. The emphasis placed on certain criteria change
The rankings are based on cri
Gray-Little
each year, and Gray-Little said the University would explore the changes to the criteria.
"We certainly wish they had been higher," Gray-Little said. "We are looking at the ratings to see where the changes are and
what elements might have been ranked lower than they were previously."
One of the goals of the University's strategic plan, Bold Aspirations, is to have 21 graduate programs ranked in the top 10 of public universities. Twelve graduate programs ranked in the top 10 in the 2013 rankings.
BOLD ASPIRATIONS
Gray-Little said some goals of the Bold Aspirations plan would take up to 10 years to achieve. The
University has worked on implementing programs to reinvigorate the undergraduate experience, such as a first-year seminar, the common book program and an office of undergraduate research.
"Those are things that are underway and have started already" Gray-Little said.
Gray-Little said although the goals of Bold Aspirations are broader than trying to improve
SEE CHAT PAGE 8
ELECTION
Leaders to speak at Dole Institute
HANNAH BARLING
hbarling@kansan.com
This election season, students can talk politics with national experts from both parties — and from abroad.
The Dole Institute of Politics will host weekly group discussions of elections campaigns, led by Nancy Dwight, a Republican strategist and Steve Hildebrand, a campaign manager for President Barack Obama in 2008.
Other election season programming at the Dole Institute includes a presidential debate watch and a visit from Colombian President and KU alumnus Juan Manuel Santos.
"If students are willing to participate, they can seek out knowledge from the frontline of the campaign." Clark said.
Lexie Clark, coordinator of the Dole Institute of Politics Student Advisory Board, said the number of students involved in politics has remained consistent but the enthusiasm isn't the same.
Celia Byrne, a sophomore from St. Paul, Minn., subscribes to Dole Institute emails about up coming events.
Edited by Ian Cummings
"Dole clearly offers great opportunities for students. There are a lot of big issues and it's important for students to have their voice heard," she said. "They don't know what's going on if they don't take the opportunities."
Sept. 23, 3 to 4 p.m.
Campaign 2012 with Eleanor Cliff
Santos will be speaking Sept. 23, which will be the first time the Dole Institute hosts a sitting president.
DOLE INSTITUTE EVENTS FOR STUDENT VOTERS
Sept. 24, 2:30 to 4 p.m.
Dole Forum, President Juan Manuel Santos, Republic of Columbia
Oct. 3, 7-50 to 10 p.m.
Campaign 2012: Debate Watch
with Dr. Mary Banwart
Oct. 14, 4 to 5.30 p.m.
2012 Dale Leadership Prize
Wounded Warrior Project
Oct. 23, 7:30 to 9 p.m.
Book Talk: "The Victory Lab," More eyeball for Politics" with Sasha Issenberg
Index
Nov. 1, 7-30 to 9 p.m.
Campaign 2012 with Bill Lacy and special guests
The group discussions will be open to all students and begin Wednesday at 4 p.m., continuing each Wednesday until Nov.14. Students can also volunteer to staff the events and join the institute's student advisory board.
For the first presidential debate on Oct. 3, Mary Banwart, a professor of communication studies, has organized a debate watch and discussion for undecided student voters.
CRYPTOQUIPS 4
OPINION 6
Nov 14, 7:30 to 9 p.m.
An Evening with Newt and Callista
Ginrich
Source. Dale Institute of Politics
For full listing of events. visit
http://www.daleinstitute.org
SPORTS 14
SUDOKU 5
All contents, unless stated otherwise. © 2012 The University Daily Kansan
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