Letter: Unfair system gives renters license to steal

Friday, Aug. 18, 2000 | 10:02 a.m.

Should there be a government agency to help these criminals, who steal your property, beat the court system from punishing them? Should such a government agency be paid for out of the taxes paid by the people who are being stolen from? Sound ridiculous? This is exactly what's going on with apartment owners in Nevada.

A property owner rents to a tenant and finds out he has someone who has no intention of paying any more rent. He tries to evict the tenant so he can get a new renter in the property so he can pay his mortgage, taxes, utilities and other costs. Upon going to file the appropriate documents he is treated like a parasite on society. When he goes to court, he finds that his taxes are supporting a group called Clark County Legal Services that teaches people how to beat the system and stay in a property -- sometimes for months -- without paying a dime. It appears anything goes with these people and the courts favor their side at every turn.

As the owner and operator of an apartment complex, I believe it is an unfair system that uses our tax dollars to train these people to steal, protects them in the courts and then fails to disclose to property owners who they are.

Is it too much to ask that the court system make available to property owners the names of the thousands of people who are evicted each year in Clark County?

LEE MALM