When an ordinance to charge a $40 fee for each rental unit in Carnegie was approved by borough council in March 2008, landlords had little reaction.
That has changed, however, since the first bills for the fee were sent out Sept. 16.
Three landlords came to council's workshop meeting Monday to express their displeasure with the ordinance. Councilwoman Susan Demko and landlord Bob Heinrich, a former councilman and mayor, agreed to put a committee together to further discuss concerns.
According to officials, 47 percent of the borough's real estate is rented.
Joyce Charley, of Forest Avenue, argued she should be exempt because none of her properties are rented. Two are occupied by her sons, who do not pay rent, and the other is used for storage, she said.
"I appreciate the problem, [but] if you make an exemption, every rental property [owner] is going to come in and say they're related to their tenant," responded Solicitor Joe Lucas, who nonetheless agreed to look at the ordinance to determine whether it could be amended without causing "an administrative nightmare."
Mrs. Demko noted that copies of all leases are to be included with payments.
Nancy McGartland, vice president of property manager for McKinney Properties, the owner of the 179-unit Washington Gardens Apartments, contended the fee is illegal because no services are being provided.
"In our opinion, we're paying for giving you our residents' information," she said.
"That's not what we're asking. We're not trying to spy on anyone, but if there's a fire, we need to know who's in there," Mr. Lucas countered. "We're providing a [fire and safety inspection] service in exchange for a fee."
When Ms. McGartland suggested those inspections have not been done, she was told they would be within three years.
Mr. Lucas added that the tenant information could be useful to the borough, too, if it has to go after renters who leave without paying sewer bills, and Mrs. Demko said safety inspections are important because not all rental units are maintained properly.
Mr. Heinrich, of Grienbrier Drive, asked: "What is the difference between the house I live in and the ones I'm renting? Essentially, you're [charging] the landlords to balance the budget."
Mr. Lucas responded that police are more likely to be called to rental units than to owner-occupied homes, to which Mr. Heinrich suggested that Carnegie's 1,500 rental properties be billed on a nuisance basis. The ordinance contains a provision for evicting tenants of units involved in three incidents with borough police.
The $40 non-owner occupied dwelling fee and two $10 taxes on the general population were enacted last year to provide money for the Carnegie Volunteer Fire Department. Only the non-owner occupied dwelling fee was continued for 2009.
First Published: October 8, 2009, 9:30 a.m.
