The new owner of Branbury Park, one of the largest apartment complexes catering to Brigham Young University students, has vowed to "do a little housecleaning" to assure that tenants comply with the school's honor code.
Richard Knapp, a BYU law student, led a group that took ownership of the complex on Nov. 1 and immediately began making changes.Since then, said general manager Ellen Foster, the complex - which has 311 apartments for singles and 68 for married students - has begun to change its "rowdy, party-place image."
"We think that image is unfortunate and we want to clean it up. We think there are some good people who would live here if it weren't for that," she said.
"We are trying to get rid of the drinking, smoking, pets, dirty posters, boyfriends who stay over and other honor code violations," Knapp added.
Brigham Young University allows single students to live only in approved housing where managers encourage tenants to abide by the strict honor code of the school, which is owned by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
For example, students must agree not to drink alcohol, smoke, engage in premarital sex or violate other standards.
Foster said eight tenants had been evicted by early December and about 20 others informed to "shape up or get out."
She said the eight had been turned in by their roommates or neighbors and proved unwilling to abide by the management rules. The other 20, she said, had shown interest in complying and may be allowed to stay.
To eliminate overnight stays by tenants' boyfriends or girlfriends, the management had five or six cars towed from the parking lot each night during the first part of November.
"That's down to one or two cars right now," Foster said.
Deadbeat renters are another problem. Some haven't paid rent since July, Foster said. At one point, Branbury was losing more than $22,000 a month in delinquent rents.
"We know there are going to be tenants that are going to get ticked off," Knapp said. "We are just not going to put up with that crap anymore. We want tenants here that have the same values that BYU students are supposed to have.
"I feel like a few hurt feelings and some lost tenants might be a price I'm willing to pay," he said. "This is not a money issue with me."