Political Quotes

“after much deliberation, I am voting in favor of tabling the Feingold amendment on the use of the automatic stay in eviction proceedings. In California, we have had very serious problems with bankruptcy mills, fly-by-night firms that have advised tenants to avoid eviction by filing for bankruptcy. These firms have even gone so far as to place ads in newspapers which encourage renters to "stop evictions from one to six months by filing for bankruptcy," or promise to "legally stop your eviction for up to 120 days at rock bottom prices." In 1996 alone, the Los Angles County Sheriff's Department reported 3,800 cases in which the tenant filed for bankruptcy after all state eviction proceedings were exhausted--causing an extra $ 6 million in costs. While the Feingold amendment is well-intentioned, it does not adequately address the misuse of the "automatic stay" in eviction proceedings. Let me explain why: First, once an individual files for bankruptcy, the Feingold amendment only permits an eviction to go forward if the tenant subsequently fails to pay rent again. Thus, a debtor could refuse to pay debts for many months, and when the landlord begins the eviction proceeding, the landlord's hands would be tied if the debtor then starts paying the rent. This in effect gives a renter the ability not to pay rent, go through bankruptcy, and, by agreeing to pay future rent, get to keep the apartment even if no back rent is paid.”