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Are you a Landlord With Dangerous Dogs?
Author: Don Conrad  | Posted: 12-02-2007 | Comments: 0 | Views: 47 | Rating: (63)  (?) 
I believe the topic of dangerous dogs is one of the fastest growing safety concerns for a landlord at this time. Unlike the lead based paint issue which has state and now federal regulations to curb the potential dangers, the topic of dangerous dogs is still pretty much unregulated and open for discussion. Mix in the fact that the dangerous dog issue is often a personal and emotional one, and things can become very sensitive very quickly. (I have many interesting and eye-opening stories in my report on Dangerous Dogs available free on my website at http://www.findthatqualitytenant.com).
To cut right to the chase, certain cities in the country are labeling certain dogs as dangerous, and these cities have different trains of thought on how to handle the potential liability these dogs can create. Some of these cities now have ordinances along these lines which say: if you own one of these dogs, you need a $500,000 insurance policy, a 6-foot fence to contain the dog, and a kennel. They also say if the animal is out of the kennel, it needs to be muzzled.
Other cities have no such ordinance. But, just because the city doesn’t have established ordinances doesn’t mean these dogs are any less dangerous. It just means nothing extremely traumatic has occurred within the city, regarding these dogs that would result in such an ordinance being established.
Suppose you rented a house in a town with no ordinances for dangerous dogs, but your tenants have an aggressive dog that might be on a list if one was obtainable. Now let’s suppose that dog does get out of the yard and attacks a neighborhood child, causing permanent injury to the child. What happens next? Well, for starters, you know there will be a lawsuit and there is a good chance you the landlord will be sued since almost any lawyer will decide you have more assets to attack than the dog’s owner, who owns nothing but the dog.
If you were named in a lawsuit, your one recourse for protection, besides
having your rental in some kind of cooperation or other legal entity, is to see if your insurance company will fight the lawsuit for/with you. This seems to be the logical next step and one which most landlords would pursue.
This idea has some merit but let me warn you, nowadays, certain insurance companies are refusing or canceling homeowner’s insurance if you have what is considered a dangerous dog living on the property. If you own the property and a tenant has a dog that bites someone, but that tenant doesn’t have adequate insurance to cover the dog bite, you could be held responsible and your homeowner’s insurance may not pay. That in and of itself should be enough to possibly make you ban these dogs from your property, but the issue brings up another question: What if the tenant has a dog they keep insured?
As far as I’m concerned, the answer is a complicated one. Some people say if a landlord’s tenant is insured for the dog and something happens, then the landlord is legally off the hook. I don’t agree. In a modern society where people can win multimillion-dollar settlements for hot coffee spilled on them, anything can happen in a lawsuit.
As a landlord I wouldn’t want to chance it, and here’s the main reason: When a victim receives a dog bite or worse, someone has to compensate the victim. I guarantee you that the owner of the dog, in this case your tenant, has probably zero in assets to compensate the victim. You, the landlord, however, are probably worth millions—at least in the jury’s eyes—so you could very well be listed in that lawsuit. Landlords have assets. If you want to protect them, be careful about these dogs.
So how do you draw a line on what dogs you will consider dangerous? If you want to rent to dog owners and wish to exclude potentially dangerous dogs, try this: call the city or town your rental is and find out their dog list and corresponding regulations. Then call your insurance agent that insures the rental and get a list from them. (Careful: some agents represent many companies, so make sure you are actually getting the list from the company that insures the house.) Now, write up your own list using both the city and the insurance agent’s information. Add any dog you feel should be on the list. Date and sign the list. Make a copy of this list and keep it handy for any time you rent your dwelling. Update it about once a year.
Doing things this way will help ensure that you don’t illegally discriminate and will go a long way toward keeping your investment asset a little safer.
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Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/real-estate-articles/are-you-a-landlord-with-dangerous-dogs-103940.html
About the Author:Don Conrad is the author of the book,” How to Find That Quality Tenant”. His website at www.findthatqualitytenant.com, is dedicated to the education and improving a landlords tenant selection process. This site contains informational articles, valuable links, real estate related forms, a Fair Housing test, tips of the month, a landlord association list, and much more.
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Shame On You
By: parker | 16-09-2008
I have a question for Dee Gerrish: Why did you write such a scathing article about Ellen Degeneres for rehoming her dog? She didn't just DUMP the dog off at the local animal shelter like YOU did! Why did you surrender ten of your own dogs to the animal shelter Dee? Because you HAD TOO MANY? Isn't it true that your husband Michael Gerrish surrendered ten of your dogs and yet, you continue to breed the REMAINING dogs? Why won't you allow anyone to tour your kennels, Dee? Are you afraid that someone is going to report you to the authorities? Are you afraid they will see the filthy kennels, smell the foul odor of death that reeks from your property? Will they see that your dogs are crowded into small pens, their food bowls empty, the water bowls filled with green water? Will they see that the kennel roof is leaking getting everything wet when it rains? Will they see that your property is littered with debris and junk and that you live in trailer in a trashy trailer park? Will they find out that your puppy mill is infected with the Parvo virus and many of your dogs and puppies died?
Tell everyone what a fraud you are Dee Gerrish. Tell the world that you DON'T run a clean, sanitary, modern, safe kennel. Tell the world how you scammed your customers by selling them sick puppies and kept their money! While you are at it, tell all of your 'fans' how you went to Florida and extorted money from your own mother. Tell everyone that your 80 year old mother suffers from Alzheimer's and didn't even know who you were when she saw you! Tell the world how you conned your own sick and frail mother out of her life savings and left her penniless. How you fired her caretaker of four years, ransacked her house then left your mother ALL ALONE in her house and ordered her not to use the phone or let anyone in. Tell everyone how you forced your confused mother to pay an attorney so you could have Power of Attorney over her finances and her estate when there was ALREADY a daughter with Power of Attorney! You just couldn't stand to think that someone else would get their hands on your mother's money, could you? You have NEVER helped your ailing mother in your entire life but when you thought she had a barrel of money boy, the tires on your car burned rubber all the way from your trailer park in North Carolina to Florida!
I hope you are satisfied by what you have done. The family has a message for you: You may have won a battle but you have not won the war.
You Diane Gerrish are nothing but a con artist, a liar, a thief, a manipulator, a scam artist, a side show freak. You have nothing but a trailer and a bunch of sick, unsell-able mutts and you are a depraved, selfish, arrogant, narcissistic nut job that needs to be institutionalized.
You want to be buried in a suit of armor you say? You want to be dug up years from now so people will think you were Joan of Arc? Do you know what happened to Joan of Arc? She was BURNED AT THE STAKE!!! This is do-able for you as well. Many people would LOVE to see you cook inside your suit of armor. You are a psychopath.
Warm suggestions for my 3 blue heelers outside
By: Vickie | 16-09-2008
I live on 15 acres with my 3 blue heelers. I am needing other ways to keep them warm during the winter that isn't with hay. We have used hay in the past, but this past winter happened to be the worst mice problem we have had yet. The mice come in from the other acreage around us into our home and they rummage through the hay to take back for themselves. I would love to bring the dogs inside, but that isn't an option for us. They have boxes on the back porch which we keep blocked with boards so the wind/cold elements aren't affecting them. I want to keep my babies warm, but also not creating more problems for my home with many mice homes....Please advice
Poms loss of hair
By: rosie066 | 15-09-2008
my niece has a 6 mo old pomerainian that has lost her fur - it loks like she was taken to the groomer and shaved. Any help would be appreciated
About my Bichon
By: todie4 | 15-09-2008
Why does my dog lick my cat's ears?
I caught my lanlord in my apartment without my permission can I change my lucks whitout giving him a key?
By: jody | 15-09-2008
I have been missing things in my house ever so often,I even caught my lanlord comming out of my apartment one day ,after returning from work. Can I change my lucks without giving my landlord a key ? since I caught her?
Can I change my lucks I caught my lanlord enering into my unit without my permission?
By: jody | 15-09-2008
I have been missing things in my house ever so often,I even caught my lanlord comming out of my apartment one day ,after returning from work. Can I change my lucks without giving my landlord a key ? since I caught her?
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