SGA amends bylaws to help student handle landlord disputes
The Student Government Association Senate and House unanimously adopted an amendment to the free on-campus legal clinic’s bylaws, expanding the clinic to better support students in legal disputes with landlords.
The amendment was passed at the SGA general board meeting Nov. 4.
The free legal clinic has many resources to aid students when they are in a legal bind, but landlord tenant disputes were somewhat of a challenge. None of the attorneys in the clinic are well versed in helping students understand rental agreement contracts.
The amendment includes a stipulation of adding attorneys who have knowledge in landlord tenant disputes.
“With the amendment passing, the clinic can better address problems students have in landlord disputes,” said Macomb senior and Legal Clinic Director Theia Easley. “There are a lot of students who have signed a rental agreement with a landlord without fully understanding what they have signed. We get a lot of students coming into the clinic with this kind of problem.”
Students who are new to the area and no longer wish to live in the residence halls might be confused about what rights they have when signing a lease for an apartment off campus, which could cause problems.
The addition of attorneys who understand landlord tenant disputes will help answer student’s questions and solve their problems, Easley said.
“The attorneys who work at the clinic are not specialized in handling landlord disputes,” said Muskegon senior Brittany Wilson, the SGA senator who introduced the amendment on the bylaw. “Students would come to the clinic asking for help and there wasn't much we could do for them. This was an issue that really needed attention.”
