Wed. mix: LA landlords beat Sec. 8 freeze

- LA landlords have won a California appellate decision overturning a municipal ordinance that would have required them, in cases of terminated or nonrenewed Sec. 8 housing contracts, to charge the tenants only their own former portions of the rent, indefinitely, after the federal subsidy stopped. The decision didn't invoke any grand principles -- it simply found the ordinance was preempted by a state law, Cal. Civil Code Sec. 1954.535, which imposes a similar rent freeze but only for 90 days. The ordinance had been passed due to reports that private landlords were ending their Sec. 8 contracts and requiring the tenants to pay full freight as a way of forcing them to "voluntarily vacate" under the vacancy decontrol provisions of Los Angeles rent control.

- Senators snapping at FEMA again.

- Your chance to comment on the "Statement of Activity" required from recipients of USDA housing preservation grants.

- Lucky you, you also get to comment on the paperwork surrounding arbitrage restrictions and rebates on tax-exempt bonds.