Attorney General Dan Rayfield and his staff agreed to a meeting with OSTA Board members on February 10th. The meeting was short but impactful. OSTA brought to their attention to consistent, widespread Unlawful Trade Practices Act violations by some of the bad actor corporate management companies in Oregon.
These include Unconscionable Tactics and Harassment, Deceptive Representations and “Bait and Switch,” Predatory Practices Related to Home Sales, Failure to Disclose and Health/Safety Hazards among others.
We went to the meeting with a request for the Department of Justice to provide guidance to OSTA, so we can begin collecting the evidence necessary to initiate a formal investigation.
Our members have spoken loud and clear that enforcement is needed. It is our hope, that by taking on the biggest violators, it will send a message to the rest of the landlords to stop these egregious violations against their tenants.
Attorney General Rayfield has given us a contact within the Department of Justice to begin work on potential survey questions to help us collect this evidence. We will keep you informed of the progress and when you can expect to see the first survey.
This, of course, is not a guarantee that the Department of Justice will be able to open an official investigation or start a case against violators. There are many factors at play and there are requirements which will need to be met before such a step can be considered. We appreciate the time and attention being given to this matter by Attorney General Rayfield and the staff at the Department of Justice.
