GEORGETOWN -- Sussex County officials reacted with skepticism to a briefing on the lengths to which landlords must go to accommodate disabled tenants under state and federal fair-housing laws.
"We're not going to like hearing what you're saying. Just tell us all these things and maybe we can keep our mouths shut," Sussex County Councilman George Cole told representatives from the Delaware State Housing Authority and the Division of Human Relations. "It makes us all madder and madder that we're living under these terms."
Ines Hungria, a Division of Human Relations investigator, walked officials from the County Council, the zoning board and the Board of Adjustment through the strictures of fair housing laws this week.
Most of the questions dealt with animals. The law is clear: Landlords who don't want pets in their rental apartments must still allow people with service or companion animals to rent from them, Hungria said. And landlords can't say no to a companion animal like a pit bull merely because people feel threatened by it, she said, invoking a hypothetical pit bull, Zeke, a companion animal to a tenant suffering from depression, and a neighbor girl, Sarah. Unless Zeke were to bite Sarah, Hungria said, the dog can't be kicked out.
"So I can't prevent someone from renting with a pit bull if their spouse says they need a pit bull to combat depression?" Sussex County Councilman Vance Phillips said. That's correct, Hungria said, although she said it's usually a doctor's note that justifies the dog. "What if Sarah's doctor certified that the dog is causing her to be depressed?" Phillips retorted.
It was one of several times officials played devil's advocate to illustrate strange conclusions fair-housing laws could lead them to draw.
"Everybody should run to the doctor, and everybody in the whole place should have a dog," Councilman Sam Wilson suggested.
Others at the meeting wondered if the law meant their zoning laws couldn't limit where group homes for the disabled could be built.
"If you deny it, have very good reasons," was Hungria's advice.
Fair and affordable housing advocates in Delaware have complained that some Sussex municipalities have discouraged poor people from renting apartments. A 2002 report from the Sussex Housing Group complained about a "tightening of code enforcement on housing occupied by minority groups, especially Latinos," in Selbyville and Georgetown.
Today, Hungria said, she and her colleagues get 50-60 complaints of housing discrimination a year, and they have formal investigations opened on about 15 of them at any one time.
Robert Wheatley, chairman of the county's Planning & Zoning Commission, said the training was important to make sure government officials and landlords knew the ins and outs of the law. He said he asked questions about the rules to make sure "there is some safeguard against people who might try to game the system."
Source: www.delmarvanow.com
Law & Disorder: Man arrested in laser incident - Florida Times-Union
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A 40-year-old Jacksonville man was arrested after police said he flashed a laser light at one of their airplanes Monday night. Tyler John Pennywitt of Hanover Park Drive was charged with misuse of a laser lighting device on a Sheriff’s Office ...Source: jacksonville.com
Sussex tear Surrey apart - ECB
Watch the highlights of day one at Horsham as Sussex dismiss Surrey for just 124
Sussex took complete control of their LV= County Championship clash with Surrey after bowling out the visitors for 124 on the first day of the Division One match at Horsham.
Australian Steve Magoffin took 4-27 after bowling through the morning session unchanged and was well supported by James Anyon, who claimed 4-63, as the Sussex seamers fully vindicated skipper Michael Yardy's decision to bowl first.
Sussex responded impressively and were 81 for two when rain and bad light forced an early end with the recalled Luke Wells 33 not out.
Magoffin's stay as Sussex's overseas player is due to end after this game but he is in negotiations with Queensland about extending it and the county must be hoping he can after a skilful burst with the new ball left Surrey reeling on 52 for six.
There was some lateral movement to assist the seamers and Magoffin made the most of it, starting with wickets in successive overs as Jason Roy drove wastefully to mid-on before Mark Ramprakash was caught behind.
Seamer James Anyon celebrates one of his four victims as Sussex dismiss Surrey for a paltry 124 on the opening day at Horsham
Ramprakash had been recalled after three weeks out of the side to form Surrey's fourth different opening partnership of the season - but the 42-year-old could do little about a ball which swung and left him off the pitch.
Steven Davies - called up as cover for the third Investec Test against West Indies - was Magoffin's third victim, courtesy of an excellent catch at third slip by Wells.
Anyon offered excellent support, removing Zander de Bruyn and former Sussex player Rory Hamilton-Brown with successive balls.
He claimed his third wicket before lunch when an aggressive counter-attacking innings by Tom Maynard ended with a push to slip.
Gareth Batty and Jon Lewis showed what was possible with application as they added 44 for the seventh wicket before both fell in successive overs after lunch to Naveed Arif Gondal as the batsmen slashed at away-swingers and both were held at second slip.
Magoffin returned to the attack in the 40th over to claim his fourth wicket with his third ball back when he defeated Stuart Meaker's defensive prod before Anyon finished the innings when he yorked Jade Dernbach.
It was Sussex's best bowling performance of the season so far and one their batsmen seemed determined not to squander - even though Joyce went early when Davies dived in front of slip in the third over to reward an excellent opening spell by Lewis.
But Nash and Wells steadied Sussex and began to prosper on what is a quick-scoring ground.
They added 69 for the second wicket either side of tea before Nash, attempting to hit Murali Kartik over midwicket, instead gave the left-arm spinner his first championship wicket as a Surrey player courtesy of Roy's catch at point off a leading edge.
Source: www.ecb.co.uk
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