The Apartment Association’s local advocacy initiatives encompass 9 north-central Texas counties, including Erath, Hood, Jack, Johnson, Palo Pinto, Parker, Somervell, Tarrant and Wise. In addition, we represent our members in more than 40 municipalities, including our primary focus on the cities of Arlington, Bedford, Euless, Fort Worth, Grapevine and Hurst.

Municipal rules and regulations have a direct impact on the multihousing industry. They are spread across a broad spectrum of issues, everything from animal control to and solid waste. The AATC Municipal RegBook contains city ordinances, regulations and other important issues that affect rental-housing owners and managers in our largest cities. For a quick and effective reference guide, try linking to this helpful centralized source for all the information you need. For on-line information regarding other Metroplex municipalities, visit the Municipal Code Corporation Web site.

 
JP COURT DATABASE – Tarrant County Justice of the Peace court documents and records are now available online at http://cc.co.tarrant.tx.us/CivilCourts/JP/. This site gives landlords the ability to screen tenants for pending and/or prior eviction suits. Landlords can search court records by name, court, case, attorney, date, etc.

New Justices Of The Peace - As of January 1, Tarrant County has three new Justices of the Peace:  1) Ralph Swearingin, Precinct 1; 2) Russ Casey, Precinct 3; and 3) Tom Corbin, Precinct 7. Swearingin replaced Ferrell; Casey replaced Prindle; and Corbin replaced Kurbin. 

City of Fort Worth
FORT WORTH INSPECTION FEE INCREASE - AATC anticipates council action in August 2007 that will increase annual multifamily rental registration fees from $6 per unit to $8 per unit. AATC is working with city officials to phase in fee increases over a 3-year period. As proposed, fees would increase to $8 in 2008; $9 in 2009; and $10 in 2010. Multifamily inspection fees have been at $6 per unit since enactment in 1997. AATC is working with city staff on a similar incremental increase in reinspection fees from the current $18 per unit to $25 per unit.

FORT WORTH SUBSTANDARD PROPERTY - In August, the Fort Worth city council is expected to consider expanding the current multifamily rental registration and inspection ordinance from 8 units and above to 3 units and above. These changes reflect city rental registration task force recommendations; citizen comments at public hearings; and stakeholder input regarding substandard single-family and duplex rentals. AATC and the Fort Worth Board of Realtors have led a coalition of real estate group offering numerous alternatives to address substandard properties including voluntary registration, neighborhood code compliance SWAT teams, and public disclosure of inspection scores.
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City of Haltom City
RENTAL REGISTRATION
Haltom City is the latest municipality to propose rental registration and inspection for all residential rental property.  As proposed, Haltom City's requirements are the most onerous to date.  Rental property owners would be required to register with the city, be annually inspected, and pay a $65 per unit registration fee.  AATC is working in coalition with the realtors and other groups to defeat this plan.

Tarrant County
GANG CRIME – Criminal acts committed by gangs are increasing throughout Fort Worth and Arlington according to Safe City Commission.  Arlington and Fort Worth law enforcement officials have adopted a "Zero-Tolerance" approach to gang activity.  In Arlington, police officers are increasing their patrols in neighborhoods suspected of having gang problems.  Fort Worth city attorney T.J. Patterson is recommending civil injunctions against property owners and individuals to enhance abatement. If the property owner and/or manger violates the injunction, the infraction will be considered a Class A misdemeanor, and Patterson is working closely with the Tarrant County District Attorney’s office to prosecute these violations. TAA General Counsel has indicated that criminal statutes pertaining to nuisance properties have been around for a long time, but district attorneys are hesitant to prosecute because these cases are difficult to win. In addition, AATC staff is also participating in the Tarrant County Gang Crime Prevention Task Force.   

PAROLEE HOUSING - Tarrant County’s Housing Committee continues to  meet to discuss county-wide policies and procedures that would assist parolees with housing needs. AATC staff is assisting Tarrant County with its application for an $8.6 million federal grant to implement the program. 

QUICK LINKS
to area cities, counties and JPs.

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