The city of Scranton recently ordered thousands of property owners to register their rental units and pay an annual fee — without knowing whether all of the letter recipients are, in fact, landlords.
The Times-Tribune of Scranton reports the city sent letters to 7,800 property owners in an attempt to boost enforcement of a rental registration ordinance. The letters went to owners of multiple properties.
Patrick Hinton, director of the city's permits department, says the city had no other cost-effective way of finding out who owns rental property and who does not.
Resident Joan Hodowanitz, who got one of the letters, says she was told by the city's permits department to provide a notarized letter verifying she's not a landlord. She says she "told them where they could put the notarized letter."
