http://news.cincinnati.com/article/20081212/NEWS01/812120405/-1/TODAY?GID=owUEglFo68ZCNbIIKURtyzpdV6VJ0is00TRllQblIaI%3DAlthough he's backpedaled a little since this story first broke, this is A) a sign of what's to come when the housing crisis costs millions of families their homes, and B) a gutsy, compassionate move for the Sheriff to take, and C) probably illegal on his part. I like this sheriff, though, he's long proven he's not just a uniform, he's a real human being.
The article:
Sheriff: Let me explain ...
Jones just wants evictees to have somewhere to go
The Butler County sheriff has taken a lot of heat over his concerns about cold-weather evictions, but he says an order he issued is being misunderstood.
"Evictions are still happening in Butler County, and no court orders are being violated," Rick Jones said Thursday, clarifying a directive he issued Tuesday.
In that order, Jones tells deputies they are to "halt the service of the forced eviction and return the paperwork to the courts with an explanation of non-service" if the evictee has nowhere to go.
Some commended Jones for being compassionate, while others accused Jones of refusing to obey laws he is sworn to uphold.
But, to set the record straight: Jones said he never intended his deputies to violate any court order.
Rather, Jones said he just wants deputies to make sure evictees have shelter prior to a court-ordered deadline - and to seek an extension from the court if shelter cannot be found.
Almost always, people are able to find a place to stay, Jones said.
Of about 500 evictions his office served this year, 47 were "set out," with their possessions removed and the home's locks changed as a deputy supervised. Only a few of those people had nowhere to stay, and deputies helped them find shelter.
Jones had urged Gov. Ted Strickland to issue a statewide moratorium on cold-weather evictions, saying he fears people could die if they are evicted and have nowhere to go in winter, amid a recession and rising unemployment.
But Strickland's office said the governor lacks authority to issue such an order.
Absent such a moratorium, "we're still evicting people," Jones said.
After first hearing about Jones' initiative, Brian Hendy, president of the Greater Cincinnati Northern Kentucky Apartment Association, had expressed grave concerns.
"It is a well-intended idea that is poorly planned by the sheriff," Hendy said in a news release. "By putting a moratorium on evictions, the sheriff is condoning irresponsible behavior and not allowing landlords to move problem people out of the community."
After learning about Jones' clarification, Hendy said, "We are pleased that the sheriff has agreed to abide by court orders, particularly since under the law evictions are summary proceedings and are not to be delayed."
The apartment association said it understands the plight of those facing eviction and just last week raised more than $15,000 for a nonprofit "Apartment Outreach," which provides funds to people in danger of being evicted through the FreestoreFoodbank and Welcome House.
Jones says that, in any case, he's glad his order has generated discussion about the evictions problem.
Since Jones issued the evictions directive, the sheriff's Web site,
www.butlersheriff.org, received more than 100 comments from people across the nation and even from at least one foreign country, Jones said, adding "92 percent of them were favorable."
"It's got people talking," he said, "and something good will come from this besides the sheriff taking a 'butt-whuppin.' "
