The City of Reading’s Human Relations Commission, along with the Berks County Bar Association, and Reading-Berks Association of REALTORS® have joined forces to bring free educational resources to the community at large. The recent virtual session, entitled “The Do’s & Don’ts Regarding Landlord/Tenant Actions” included information about how to handle a court appearance considering both the landlord and tenant perspectives.
“As a volunteer attorney representing tenants facing eviction, I have come to appreciate that both landlords and tenants do not always know their responsibilities as well as their rights. The Reading-Berks Association of REALTORS® is to be commended for hosting last week’s educational session.” Said Donald F. Smith, Jr., Esquire of MidPenn Legal Services; one of the panelists who volunteered for the first of multiple informational sessions available to the public. Additional speakers for the Landlord/Tenant Do’s and Don’ts session included REALTOR® Angela Tolosky of Weichert, Realtors Neighborhood One, and Scott G. Hoh, Esquire from the Law Offices of Scott G. Hoh. The presentation was moderated by Magisterial District Judge Tonya Butler.
The hour and a half session was so informative that many stayed on the call to ask some additional questions. A myriad of topics were touched upon such as lead based paint, service animals, income discrimination, landlord theft, disclosure practices, mediation, the eviction moratorium, and so much more! If a question was not answered during the session, organizers plan to include frequently asked questions in upcoming sessions to help respond to everyone’s concerns.
The three organizations plan to continue the well forged partnership and provide additional resources to the community with additional free sessions that will be more specific in nature. Our insider whispered that the next session will cover habitability issues and the proper procedure for escrowing funds. Plans are to have an announcement out before the scheduled session this coming August so keep a lookout. If you missed the original session that discussed the broad topics relating to landlords and tenants, feel free to view and share the recording on YouTube here: https://youtu.be/k_dNal1Hcyg
