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Tristan’s Landlord-Tenant Law Blog

Archive of: Residential Rental Inspection (RRI) Program / Mandatory Rental I

City of Milwaukee Looking to Expand Its Residential Rental Inspection Program (a.k.a Landlord Licensing)

Posted by Tristan R. Pettit, Esq. in City of Milwaukee, Residential Rental Inspection (RRI) Program / Mandatory Rental I / Comments

The Department of Neighborhood Services (DNS) of the city of Milwaukee is looking to expand its Residential Rental Inspection (RRI) program to additional parts of Milwaukee. Simply put the RRI program is "landlord licensing" at its heart and it may very well be coming to your neighborhood.As background, the RRI program was created in December of 2009 as a so-called "pilot" program. It allowed the city to enter ...

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ACT 76 - Wisconsin's New Landlord-Tenant Law - Part 2: Restrictions on Local Ordinances

Posted by Tristan R. Pettit, Esq. in Legislation, City of Milwaukee, Residential Rental Inspection (RRI) Program / Mandatory Rental I, City of Madison, Act 76 (SB 179) / Comments

As I mentioned in Part 1, the soon to be new law contains new provisions as well as some corrective provisions (which will correct unintended consequences from last year's new law Act 143).  In this blog post I will talk about one of the new provisions of the law which will restrict a local municipality from creating and/or enforcing certain local ordinances.The new law will creates sec. 66.0104(2)(c) and (d), Wis. ...

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D.N.S.' Update on Milwaukee's R.R.I. Program In U.W.-Milwaukee Area

Posted by Tristan R. Pettit, Esq. in AASEW, Residential Rental Inspection (RRI) Program / Mandatory Rental I / Comments

The City of Milwaukee Department of Neighborhood Services (DNS) recently spoke at a meeting on the east side of Milwaukee and provided an update of the Residential Rental Inspection (RRI) program which was instituted around UW-Milwaukee area and in the Lindsey Heights neighborhood.   If you would like a refresher of what the  RRI program is all about you should read my earlier blog posts on the issue.Much of the information set forth below was ...

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City of West Allis Passes Landlord Licensing Ordinance

Posted by Tristan R. Pettit, Esq. in Residential Rental Inspection (RRI) Program / Mandatory Rental I / Comments

The City of West Allis recently passed a new ordinance that requires all property owners to register their rental properties with the City.The new law is contained in 3 separate ordinances.   The first ordinances was passed back in August 6, 2010, followed by a repeal and revision to the original ordinance on September 24, 2010, followed by an ordinance creating a sub-section of the ordinance on October 7, 2010.You can read all 3 ...

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Business Journal Article Addresses Fallout of the City's RRI Ordinance To Date

Posted by Tristan R. Pettit, Esq. in DNS, City of Milwaukee, Residential Rental Inspection (RRI) Program / Mandatory Rental I / Comments

I was recently interviewed by Business Journal reporter Sean Ryan regarding the fallout of the dismissal of three landlords' lawsuit against the City of Milwaukee regarding the unconstitutionality of its Residential Rental Inspection (RRI) program.  My most recent post on the subject can be read here.On October 1, 2010, The Business Journal published  its article entitled "Judge Upholds Milwaukee Home Inspection Program.  Reporter Sean Ryan spoke with the ...

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Landlords Lose Lawsuit

Posted by Tristan R. Pettit, Esq. in City of Milwaukee, Residential Rental Inspection (RRI) Program / Mandatory Rental I / Comments

On Wednesday, September 22, 2010, Judge Timothy Witkowiak denied three landlords' motion for summary judgment against the City of Milwaukee and granted the City's cross motion for summary judgment against the landlords, with regard to constitutionality of the city's new RRI ordinance.  This ruling effectively ended the lawsuit.The lawsuit dealt with the City's new Residential Rental Inspection (RRI) program/ordinance that went into effect on January 1, 2010.  The RRI ordinance requires ...

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Hearing on Landlords Lawsuit vs. City To Be Held This Wednesday, September 22nd

Posted by Tristan R. Pettit, Esq. in DNS, City of Milwaukee, Residential Rental Inspection (RRI) Program / Mandatory Rental I / Comments

The hearing on both the Landlords' and the City's cross motions for Summary Judgment will be held this Wednesday, September 22nd, at 10 am.   The hearing will take place before Judge Timothy Witkowiak at the Milwaukee County Courthouse.This hearing could be the final hearing on this lawsuit (barring any appeals) which involves three Landlords suing the City and asking the Court to declare the Residential Rental Inspection (RRI) program unconstitutional ...

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CITY'S MOTION TO DISMISS LANDLORDS' LAWSUIT DENIED BY THE COURT - LAWSUIT CONTINUES

Posted by Tristan R. Pettit, Esq. in City of Milwaukee, Residential Rental Inspection (RRI) Program / Mandatory Rental I / Comments

On May 21, 2010, Judge Timothy Wotkowiak, denied the City of Milwaukee's motion to dismiss the lawsuit filed by three Milwaukee landlords who sued the city as a result of its newly enacted ordinance requiring mandatory rental inspections of rental housing in two areas of the city.For background information on the ordinance that went into effect on January 1, 2010, please read my November 24, 2009 post.  For background information on the ...

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Update On Landlords' Lawsuit Against City of Milwaukee and Its Rental Inspection Ordinance

Posted by Tristan R. Pettit, Esq. in AASEW, DNS, City of Milwaukee, Residential Rental Inspection (RRI) Program / Mandatory Rental I / Comments

There has not been a lot of media reporting on the lawsuit brought by three landlords against the City of Milwaukee and its rental inspection ordinance so I thought I would take the time to update you on its status.If you are unfamiliar with the basics of the lawsuit you should refer to my earlier post on the topic.The City of Milwaukee has filed a Motion To Dismiss the Landlords' lawsuit.  Essentially ...

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DNS Has Started To Implement The New Residential Rental Certificate Program

Posted by Tristan R. Pettit, Esq. in Legislation, DNS, Residential Rental Inspection (RRI) Program / Mandatory Rental I / Comments

As many of you know the City of Milwaukee's new Residential Rental Certificate Program ordinance went into effect January 1, 2010. It is my understanding that the letter notices, along with a date for the inspection of your rental unit/s, the application, were all mailed out to affected landlords during the week of Dec. 28th -- so those of you in the two designated areas should have received your mailing by now - Merry Christmas.In anticipation ...

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