Highland County Board of Realtors holds annual affiliates luncheon
The Highland County Press
The Highland County Board of Realtors recognized its affiliate members during the September monthly board meeting Sept. 26 at the Hillsboro Ponderosa Banquet Center.
Highland County Board of Realtors President Kelly Kimble thanked all the board's affiliates for their service to the board and community.
Kimble also presented a $500 check to Blair Smithson of Preferred Midwest Title for the Soles for Students program. The $500 was raised during this year's Board of Realtors' fundraising bowling tournament May 17 at Highland Lanes.
The Soles for Students program was started by Hillsboro attorney Susan Davis of Preferred Midwest Title. The program assists needy families in the community with shoe vouchers for schoolchildren.
In addition, Kimble read a portion of a letter from local businessman Bob Higgins, who wrote the board in opposition to a recent recommendation to the board.
Mr. Higgins writes (in part):
Dear Board of Realtors,
"I recently read in the paper that Mayor Drew Hastings recommended to the Board of Realtors that utility bills for rental properties should be kept in the name of the landlord. As a rental property owner, I vehemently disagree with this proposal.
"The renters are the ones using the utility, which can vary as much as 300 percent from renter to renter. Landlords cannot realistically factor this variation in the cost of a monthly rent. Further, it is not realistic to think that a landlord can recoup these overrun costs after the fact.
"Landlords have a serious problem as it is already collecting monies due. Many renters are late with their rental payment, leave the premises without notice, skip their obligation for the last month rent, do not pay the utility companies for their utility usage, and leave the property in a mess and disrepair. These uncollected costs make it virtually impossible to think that rental properties are a good investment anymore. Having to keep utilities in the owner’s name would further exacerbate this growing problem."
Kimble asked for the opinions of the Realtors present at the Sept. 26 meeting. The local board members were in full agreement with Mr. Higgins' assessment.
Local Realtor Rusty Fite pointed out that the city is selling a commodity; i.e., its water and sewerage services. Therefore, it is up to the city to collect payment from the users of these services.
Kimble suggested that the newly formed liaison committee to the mayor – Scott Crawford, Robyn Coomer and Diane Uhl – discuss the Realtors' position with the city.
The Board of Realtors also welcomed new administrative assistant Tara Butler, as she attended her first board meeting this week.