October 29, 2009, 09:38 AM | #1 |
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Guns banned in Rentals
http://http://www.theleafchronicle.c...r-breakingnews
Tennessee's Attorny General seems to have the "opinion" that a landlord may ban firearms. Granted, it's not law but just his opinion, but it does reveal where his head is at....I'll leave the visualizations to you... This seems to fly in the face of the castle doctrine, where you can defend ANY residence. I can understand an owner of property such as a mall, shopping plaza, restaurant, etc to ban firearms. but not your place of residence. |
October 29, 2009, 09:55 AM | #2 |
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Just about anywhere in the US of A, landowner rights prevail. Also, tenants that sign such agreements do so on their own accord and freely.
It has nothing to do with Castle Doctrine, but rather property rights - which is the prime basis to nearly all other rights. |
October 29, 2009, 12:01 PM | #3 |
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The link doesn't work.
In any case, in general a tenant's right to the property he rents is subject to the terms of the lease, to the extent they are valid and enforceable under the law of the place where the property is located. In some states, there may be statutory or case law prohibiting "no guns" clauses; but absent such laws, a "no guns" clause would be valid and enforceable. If it is valid and enforceable, the tenant is risking eviction if the landlord finds out. It's probably unlikely that he will find out, but unlikely things happen from time to time. How lucky does the tenant feel? Whether or not the landlord is likely to act if he does find out will depend in part on how strongly he personally objects to tenants having guns. He may be using a form lease and not have even thought about that clause, or he could be virulently anti-gun. And whether or not he takes action will also depend on current market conditions where the property is. If there are few vacancies, he can probably count on finding a new tenant right away if he tosses a tenant out. But if there's a lot available residential rentals around, he'll be less likely to put a tenant out on the street (where he probably won't stay too long) and wind up with an empty apartment for an extended period of time. Note that the Constitution does not regulate private conduct. It regulates government conduct. |
October 29, 2009, 01:18 PM | #4 |
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When apartment hunting, I read over the lease rather closely for any restrictions on firearms. There were none, so we signed. Had there been some, we'd have kept looking.
Precious few places have only one or two landlords looking to rent. Even in the current real estate market with people going from owning to renting, there's a glut of rental properties. If a landlord wants to be anti-gun, let them sit on their empty property. |
October 29, 2009, 02:27 PM | #5 |
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I had a landlord in AZ try to change my lease mid-way through the term after an idiot in a neighboring town tried to assemble a pipe bomb in his apartment and blew up the unit.
The new restrictions he tried to put in place specified no guns, ammo, oxygen bottles (any angry old people at that one?), carbide (get carbide wet and it released acetylene gas), propane/butane tanks (even the little backpacker/camp stove ones), gunpowder, primers, gasoline and several other things. I took great offense to it and refused to sign, and got into an interesting exchange. Civil, polite and respectful, but interesting. I didn't contest his right to do it, though I was tempted to. I contested his right to do such a dramatic change to the existing lease mid-way through the lease. I would never have signed such a lease as an apartment shopper. He agreed that it was probably a significant addendum to people that objected strenuously to it and "allowed" me to finish out my lease without signing it. I left the property to live in another place without such restrictions. I value my private property rights now as a home owner in a non-HOA neighborhood... but I honor agreements I enter into willingly. |
October 29, 2009, 02:45 PM | #6 |
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This would never happen in Tennessee!
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November 2, 2009, 06:17 PM | #7 |
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BS legal opinion
I don't think that these clauses are legal or enforceable. Could a landlord write a clause banning certain ethnic groups and be legal? Of course not. Owning a firearm is a personal thing and frankly none of a landlord's business. I can buy whatever TV's, computers and any other sort of tools that I like, including fiearms.
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November 2, 2009, 06:22 PM | #8 |
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I believe that the property owner can set the rules.
And if we don't like them we can move.
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November 2, 2009, 06:45 PM | #9 |
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Not in good ol Virginia. Any "no guns" clause in a rental agreement has no legal bearing at all. You really don't even have to tell the landlord, just sign it and keep your guns anyway. If he finds out and tries to evict you, he could face a lawsuit...
Right or wrong, that's how it is...
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November 2, 2009, 07:30 PM | #10 | |
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November 2, 2009, 08:17 PM | #11 | |
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Upon further reading of the AG's "opinion" he even admits that a violation of such rules would likely not be enforcable. This is basically "Bravo Sierra" From a notoriously liberal newsrag, intended to stir up the same. When you "rent" a property you may have "reasonable" restrictions ( no pets, no smoking inside) in your lease, but the fact that you "rent" the property also means you are able to enjoy all the constitutional rights any other person enjoys in their home.
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November 2, 2009, 08:28 PM | #12 | ||
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November 2, 2009, 08:42 PM | #13 |
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fiddletown, you've hit the nail on the head. There is a big difference between renting and owning.
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November 2, 2009, 09:38 PM | #14 | |
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Someone I know works at an audio store and it's kind of known that the security deposits and fees they charge for rentals vary depending on who you are because certain groups of renters are more likely to damage/blow out equipment than others. Who is more likely to blow out a set of $1200 speakers; the local Church fundraiser committee or some wannabe rapper who is setting up for a weekend party? At least here they don't discriminate based on skin color, but on other factors. It's hard to go either way on this issue. I'm strongly pro-2nd, but also pro-property rights as well.
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November 2, 2009, 09:44 PM | #15 | |
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November 2, 2009, 09:45 PM | #16 | |
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I own some rental property, let us suppose I decide that I will rent to African-Americans only, and make it against the rules for anyone of another race to even visit, are you going to tell me that is somehow enforceable ? By whom ? and by what means? Or that I decide to require all tenants to a search of the premises at any time I see fit ? is that enforceable? Or I decide that there will be no verbal, written, or electronically transmitted communication within the dwelling without prior written consent by management, what then? Certainly you will concede that these are all civil matters ? and that the tenant has a choice whether he will agree to the "rules" in order to live on the property? So, your opinion is that; because one chooses to rent, versus own that one must give up constitutionally guaranteed rights? Please educate me as to exactly when one waives his constitutional rights when he rents an apartment?
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November 2, 2009, 10:07 PM | #17 | |||||||
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This is yet another reason why fine print must be read very carefully. Quote:
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November 2, 2009, 10:23 PM | #18 | ||||
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on this we have no disagreement, IF you sign a lease that stipulates each parties responsibilities then it is enforceable under civil law. ( this does not change my argument mind you! ) The question then becomes, can a landlord prohibit firearms on his property ? Under a civil agreement (lease) he certainly can, and if you agree to it, you have waived your rights. However, as a matter of common law, unless the lease you signed specifically prohibits firearms, the landlord has no legal basis to prohibit them within your home. I merely want to make it clear that you need to read a lease agreement very carefully ! Then there are the all-too-common month to month rentals ( with no lease agreement ) What say you to these ? No stipulations are spelled out, other than "pay the rent, and you have a roof" ?
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November 2, 2009, 10:34 PM | #19 | |||
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I would be interested in this particular case. The landlord could only consent to search if there was a search warrant that stipulated the particular address/apt. and search warrants are routinely executed on private residences when the owners are not at home here in TN. (they usually leave a copy in the ransacked rubble)
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November 2, 2009, 10:46 PM | #20 |
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I have a house that I rent out. It is in a rural setting with no other houses in sight. Unfortunatly there is really no safe place or direction to target shoot, plus you never know how careful they would be so I put a "no discharge of firearms" in the rental agreement. Felt kind of odd but that's the way its gotta be. Pellet guns and bows are ok and there's lots of National Forrest around to shoot guns in. The current renters are naive non-gun owners. I'd feel better for them if they had some sort of protection for themselves.
There's also a "the property shall not be guest to a convicted felon or CSC offender" clause in the agreement too.
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November 2, 2009, 10:52 PM | #21 | ||
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What would you "feel" was more "better" to you ? Do you protect your family with a bow or pellet gun ? Quote:
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November 2, 2009, 11:30 PM | #22 | ||||||||
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Note, of course, that a landlord usually reserves in the lease a right to enter the property at any time in case of emergency, and upon some specified prior notice in other cases. Such clauses are permitted. Note also that absent a lease provision allowing the landlord to enter the premises, his entry onto the premises would be unlawful NOT as a violation of the tenant's 4th Amendment rights, but rather as a tortious act -- trespass. Quote:
But landlords may still limit the uses of the property, and could very well prohibit public assemblies, for just one example. Quote:
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November 2, 2009, 11:52 PM | #23 | ||||||
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The point I continue to forward is that; Unless you waive certain rights under the (Civil) terms of a lease or rental agreement, you have the same rights in a rental property, as you do in a private home.
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November 3, 2009, 12:34 AM | #24 | ||||||
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A great many laws are entirely irrelevant to the landlord tenant relationship. The landlord is certainly not bound by the Constitution, nor is the tenant. Quote:
The relationship between a landlord and tenant flows entirely from the contract (lease). As with any contract, each party assumes certain duties to the other, and each acquires certain rights against the other. The respective rights and obligations of the parties are defined by the contract. The Constitution plays absolutely no part in it. Some contract terms may be prohibited by statute, but that has nothing to do with the Constitution. Quote:
The Constitution defines how government is to operate. It also specifies certain things the government can do, and in some cases things the government can't do. The enumeration of rights in the Bill of Rights, is stated in terms of things the government can't do or must provide for in its dealings with people. Quote:
So I stand by my initial statement as set out in post #3 Quote:
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November 3, 2009, 06:35 AM | #25 | ||
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