Rent Control Meeting Falls Apart

At a sparsely attended hearing on Rent Control, everyone, including councilors, tenants and landlords, seemed to agree with Mayor Alfred E. Vellucci's exclamation that "Rent Control has created nothing but a hodge podge," but no one could agree on what to do about it.

The council adjourned without taking any action after two hours of debate over the rent situation in this city.

Councillors Edward Crane '35, Thomas Danehy, Robert Montcreiff, Thomas Coates, and Daniel Clinton all left the meeting while it was in progress, leaving the Council without a quorum.

The main purpose of the hearing was to question Robert Harlow of Harlow properties and his lawyer William Walsh about Harlow's recent practice of asking his tenants for "voluntary" rent increases over and above the rent proscribed for Harlow properties under rent control.

Despite specific orders from the Rent Control Administrator William Corkery and a letter from the City Solicitor Philip M. Cronin '53, Harlow has continued to ask his tenants for rent increases up to $20 a month.

Walsh defended Harlow's practice by citing the Marignaro case, a suit heard by the District Court in November.

The Court ruled that a Cambridge widow who owns a five-apartment building could ask a rent increase of her tenants since they were under lease. The decision stated that since the contract was made before rent control, it superceded the roll back provision.

No Good

Councillor Barbara Ackermann and several of Harlow's tenants pointed out that the decision, which is of questionable legality anyway in the eyes of the city solicitor and other lawyers, could not apply to Harlow since none of his tenants are under lease.

Walsh flatly stated that the Council had no legal authority over Harlow anyway and that matter would have to be settled in court.

In the meantime, however, Harlow will go on asking for "voluntary" rent increases from his tenants.