SENATOR LEMAN announced SB 155 USE OF RENTED PROPERTY/LAW VIOLATIONS to be up for consideration. SENATOR FRANK, sponsor, said provisions in this bill gave a landlord the ability to control their contractual relationship. One of the issues the bill deals with is that the check list can be used as evidence of prior condition of the apartment without getting a witness. Number 314 DAVID SKIDMORE, Legislative Aide for Senator Frank, said SB 155 reduces the time a landlord must wait before going to court to commence eviction proceedings. Specifically in the event the tenant does not pay rent when it's due, it changes the days from 10 to 5 days. It revises the legal obligations of the tenant to make them more stringent and reworks the statutory definition of damages. It adds to the landlord's ability to seek removal of abusive tenants through the check list process. A premises statement and a contents inventory list may be incorporated into the agreement and stipulates how they may be used in court. It includes provisions to amend Alaska nuisance abatement statutes. Number 350 EUGENE SMITH, owner of Evergreen Properties, said he has experienced losses in excess of $10,000 from irresponsible tenants and inability to collect judgements. Part of the problem does relate to the time frame currently required to evict tenants. He supported SB 155. SENATOR LEMAN asked if he had personal experience with the 10 day requirement. MR. SMITH said he has had numerous experiences. He said it is a full month before you can begin the eviction process. SENATOR FRANK remarked it seemed that there was a direct relation between the amount of time it took to evict a tenant and the amount of the deposit. MR. SMITH said ideally that was true, but from the standpoint of human compassion it was unrealistic when dealing with marginal tenants. Number 446 PAT CONHEADY said his firm represents 4 trailer courts and 60 to 70 residential units in Juneau. He endorsed SB 155, specifically the property condition and the reduction to 5 days notice on non-payment of rent. MR. CONHEADY corrected MR. SMITH by saying you can go to court after the 10 day notice. MR. CONHEADY said a couple of other problems they see are the provision for the attorney's fees which is unclear as written. Number 510 DOUG ISAACSON, Alaska Statewide Director of Credit Services, Inc., a credit screening service for landlords, said he sees landlords as credit grantors. However, landlords are not treated as business people when they try to terminate a lease in a timely or expeditious manner. He supported SB 155 as a first step to help expedite a landlord's ability to reclaim his property. He said this bill would not make anything harder on the tenant, but it would help the landlord to have the right to treat his property from an economic point of view. SENATOR LEMAN said he intended to move the bill today and asked if anyone opposed the bill. There were no comments. Number 560 DAN BISSELL, apartment manager, supported most of the testimony and supported SB 155. Number 579 CHARLES LIPPITT, Anchorage, strongly supported SB 155. TAPE 93-22, SIDE B Number 585 ALICE BREWER, Executive Secretary, Alaska Landlord and Property Manager's Association, strongly supported SB 155, especially the police notifying the landlord if there is a drug arrest, the premises condition statement, and changing the notification time to 5 days. Number 570 DAVE ERLICH, Anchorage, suggested some changes on page 5, line 5 the word "prostitution" should be changed to include "assignation." SENATOR LEMAN said that Senator Taylor said he would take that up in the Judiciary Committee. SENATOR TAYLOR explained that the Senate was being called to order and asked if anyone opposed the bill. There was no opposition. In Anchorage the following people were in support of SB 155: CHRIS GRATRIX, HANS METZ, JOHN TODD, JERRY HAGGERTY, JAN EVENSEN, EDGAR PREISS, GENE and DIANA RASH, and FITZ MITCHELL. In Fairbanks the following people were in support of SB 155: DONALD BLANC, MYRA SHEETS, BARBARA CARDIN, CINDY HELMS, MEREDITH COATS, ROY HELMS, SAM MEDSKER, JERRY HASSEL, RUTH GUDSCHINSKY, HENRY WADLE, DON WADLE, NILS BRAASTAD, RUTH PEGER, and JEROME BYRD. Number 492 SENATOR MILLER moved to pass SB 155 from committee with individual recommendations. There were no objections and it was so ordered.