To the editor:
The Utah Legislature, with its shortsighted efforts, may again remove rights from individuals and punish those people not guilty of a crime.The Judicial Committee is considering a law to make property owners responsible for the illegal actions of their renters. This is the governmental deep-pockets method to separate property from its private owners.
Sure, let's make the apartment owner in Milwaukee accountable for the actions of Jeffrey Dahmer. The Milwaukee police didn't do their job and our courts coddle the criminals, so let's let the property owner take the blame.
This police action brings forth an array of questions: Does a property owner have the right to go through a renter's personal belongings in order to look for contraband? If so, is it reasonable to do so every month or week, in order to ensure the innocence of the property owner? Are property owners required to inform their tenants of Miranda or other rights? Can a property owner evict a tenant on suspicions, even though police cannot?
Are crimes such as adultery, homosexuality, etc., included under this list of illegal activities? And the Judicial Committee certainly wouldn't want to exclude motels and hotels from this law, would they?
Does the property owner have the right to require drug tests from tenants, like my employer does? If so, is the cost of the drug test part of doing business, thereby causing higher rents?
We fear that with the new world order mentality of our legislators, the answer to these questions is yes.
Bruce A. Nieveen
Riverton
Tom Nelson
West Jordan