Harvard student told to move due to legal firearms, after roommates search her room

[Permanent Waves]

Interesting article. Domestic abuse survivor legally arms herself, frightened roommates try to get her thrown out.

Roommates saw her MAGA hat, then while she is gone search her room for guns because she is from Alabama. They were afraid any guns "might go off on their own". Call police and landlord.

Landlord Tells Harvard Grad Student to Move Out Over Legally Owned Guns


'Lots of ignorant people' can't see why it's wrong to kick a gun-owning domestic abuse survivor out of her apartment

 

[rep308]

They should post the address so everyone will know that address is "safe and gun free". I bet there are people who would be interested in that info

 

[Choctaw]

wow, Harvard and $6k/month rent. Hopefully dad has enough money to make a point.

 

[parallax222]

wow. horrendous. tho to be fair... not the same thing as eviction. not that it makes it okay.

 

[rwl1955]

I'd be charging the roommates with trespassing and hire a lawyer.

 

[1776]

If they found it, was it in a Ma compliant locked container that they couldn't tell what was in it?
And it depends what's stated in the lease.

 

[Rockrivr1]

I'm thinking roommates didn't like due to her support of MAGA and Trump and were looking for any excuse to get her kicked out of their room. Just so happens they found the gun so they got their wish. Seems roommates were dbags so probably are doing her a favor. Maybe she'll get lucky and find a like minded roommate.

 

[Rob Boudrie]

"Evicted" only applies to a formal eviction proceeding. One thing she could do is say "I am not moving, and will require you use legal process and prove I am in violation of a lease term and obtain an eviction order. I will also not be moving my stuff, so you will be required to hire a state certified eviction mover at your expense if you are successful in obtaining an eviction order.". The lease is almost certainly joint and several, which gives the landlord a claim against all parties for the entire rent (he seems to be ignoring this in his letter), and gives her a claim against the other parties if she pays the full rent. Under joint and several, the landlord probably has no authority to release only some of the parties from their obligation, as it impacts the other parties to the contract.

Simple "I will not move until ordered to do so by a court of competent jurisdiction, and will exhaust all legal processes to resist any attempt to unlawfully pressure me to move from the apartment, since I am in full compliance with lease terms." I will also explain to the court that your suggesting the other parties move is the reason I am on the hook for the entire lease, and will ask the court to void my responsibility triggered by your actions.

------------
From the landlord:

"Obviously it would be much easier for the others to stay and just fill one room (and I'm confident—were this to happen—that the remaining housemates will release Leyla from any further responsibility under the lease) and that's why I proposed what I did."​

More ignorance from the landlord. Under joint & several, a subset of the responsible parties cannot release a party on the lease from her obligation. Only the landlord can do that. Note the landlord was not offering to release her from the lease obligation, but assumed someone else would pay making the issue a moot point.

If you think it is tough to evict someone, try evicting someone and keeping them on the hook as a guarantor of the rent.

The landlord should have paid for an office consult with Langer.

 

[Glockster30]

If they found it, was is in a Ma compliant locked container that they couldn't tell what was in it?

The article didn't address this. However, Capt. Donovan of the Somerville Police Dept. inspected her firearm(s) and said that everything was legal.

 

[not new guy]

 

[greencobra]

dear leyla,

I have spare bedrooms in my house only a few miles from your school your welcome to have. all I ask for rent is you tell me a bedtime story each night when I turn in and sing me a lullaby while I doze off.

i understand you have guns, so do i. i'll show you mine if you show me yours.

regards,
gc

 

[Shark_Cage]

David Lewis, president
Avid Management
617-666-6084

 

[Rob Boudrie]

If they found it, was it in a Ma compliant locked container that they couldn't tell what was in it?
And it depends what's stated in the lease.

A trigger lock or cable lock meets MA storage requirements.

 

[FalArAk]

Damn,she is hot.

She should stay put,she didn't break any lease agreements.If her room mates get scared and leave,THEY are the ones breaking the agreement by leaving and the landlord would have to go after them for any unpaid money,not the gun owner.

 

[VetteGirlMA]

I wonder what the SJWs and and NPCs of the world would do if the tables were turned and the complaint was that a transgender person made them feel uncomfortable? Hmm...

 

[Shark_Cage]

I’m no real estate lawyer but I am fairly certain it’s a royal bitch to evict someone in this state.

 

[Rob Boudrie]

Damn,she is hot.

She should stay put,she didn't break any lease agreements.If her room mates get scared and leave,THEY are the ones breaking the agreement by leaving and the landlord would have to go after them for any unpaid money,not the gun owner.

You do not understand how Boston leases are generally written.

Each party agrees to "Joint and Several" liability. This means the landlord is free to go after any of the signatories for the full amount, with no obligation to even attempt to collect from other parties. There is also an almost universal requirement of a parental guarantee unless the student demonstrates income/assets sufficient to pay the lease in full (not just her share in a roommate situation).

Agency terms in Boston are "tenant pays fee", so almost all landlords use them. Professional agents are VERY good at writing leases that do not grant the tenant any rights or remedies not encoded in MGL and non-waivable.

I wonder what the SJWs and and NPCs of the world would do if the tables were turned and the complaint was that a transgender person made them feel uncomfortable? Hmm...

Big difference. There is explicit legal protection for those who do not sexually identify in the traditional manner. Not so for gun owners.

 

[HuntMaine]

Unfortunately is the landlords rules when You rent. Sucks but that’s how it works in the rental world.

 

[richc]

As a former landlord I can speak to the issue of getting rid of non-paying tenants. They just say no, I'm not moving. It can take up to 9 months to get them out if they play the game right.

The one in particular I'm thinking about was a nice enough lady, but her Dad was head of housing in her town. She had a mentor.

Now for the rest of the story. I wanted to sell the place. Former vacation condo that we just didn't get to with young kids. And we were looking to buy a new house.

Turns out a housing boom started about the time I asked her to leave. The 9 months waiting made me an extra $30k on sale! And since she was section 8 I got all the rent...

In fact, section 8 was so screwed up I may have received double rent for a number of months. Helped pay the legal bills...

I’m no real estate lawyer but I am fairly certain it’s a royal bitch to evict someone in this state.

 

[richc]

Landlord may make the rules and decisions, but tenants have most of the rights. It takes the landlord time and money to prevail.

Good tenants are worth their weight in gold. Smart landlords take very good care of them...

Unfortunately is the landlords rules when You rent. Sucks but that’s how it works in the rental world.

 

[drgrant]

She obviously erred thinking that her roommates were humans and something more than typical whiney sjw moonbats....

 

[Permanent Waves]

Fixed thread title. Absolutely correct, she was not evicted, but asked to move. I was trying to keep the thread title brief...

However, pretty good info in the thread on what to consider in defending the request to move.

 

[one-eyed Jack]

Unfortunately is the landlords rules when You rent. Sucks but that’s how it works in the rental world.

Really? I have managed many commercial rental properties in Concord and Littleton (the FFL headquarters) for many years. When there is an issue, the landlord gets it up the ass. But I'm a big boy and can take it. Jack.

 

[Climbnsink]

Disgusting. This is how commies function. Politics are downstream of genetics betcha her roommates are not Heritage Americans. White women need to learn that playing sex abuse survivor victim card does not work. Only certain races can be victims. Wake up white women they hate you too.

 

[Len-2A Training]

I’m no real estate lawyer but I am fairly certain it’s a royal bitch to evict someone in this state.

As a constable who has done evictions, you are understating it.

 

[mibro]

wow, Harvard and $6k/month rent. Hopefully dad has enough money to make a point.

Split three or possibly four ways.

I’m no real estate lawyer but I am fairly certain it’s a royal bitch to evict someone in this state.

Cambridge (and Somerville, Boston, etc.) are in their own little world. The joint and several liability for rent which Rob referred to is a game changer for a start. Don't want to leave? Fine, you're on the hook for the whole enchilada.

 

[Lip]

Sue the roommates, sue the landlord.

 

[xtry51]

What a bunch of scumbags.

 

[richc]

Apparently the story has gained national attention. She's been invited to appear on a national tv show.

 

[lowbuckbob]

She has a reasonable expectation of privacy in her room. There is so much fail here. I hope she lawyers up and sues. BTW the twitter comments are incredibly ignorant.