by Deputy Diva
People just seem to get more and more bold with their racist nonsense. This character, Ben Foote, of Council Bluffs, Iowa decided that he was going to hang this obscene object- a black baby doll tied to a cross – from the eave of the home he is renting.
After complaints from neighbors and news cameras filming the doll, his Landlord however, let him know that he wasn’t havin’ it and removed the doll from the property himself.
After hearing that KETV NewsWatch 7 was investigating the incident, landlord Mike Limmer took the doll down.
“I said, ‘This has to go,’” said Limmer. “If he wants it back, he knows where I live, but it’s not going back up in the yard again.”
Neighbors said they were grateful for what Limmer did.
“There’s just no place for that kind of crap going on,” he said. Click HERE for ARTICLE & Video.
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Mandela turns 92
Haiti Housing
Two thumbs up to the landlord!
Diva, next time you enter the administration section of Hicktown, add this article also to the “attention whores” category. This one needs to be in two sections. Thanks.
I think we all agree that what the person had in the yard is horrible. None of us like it and it was just hateful and evil. I mean all the stuff the guy was into in addition to this proves beyond all doubt he’s a hateful racist White supremacist and would kill all non-Whites if he had the opportunity.
But how legal is it for a landlord to take the property of a tenant, even if that property is offensive? Is there a provision for that in the least, in writing or just in the landlord’s mind?
I wonder if anyone can support the landlord’s actions from a legal standpoint?
What if the tenant was a Christian with a nativity scene in the yard in San Fransisco in December and was in a community of unbelievers with an unbelieving landlord? Would it be legal for the landlord to take the nativity scene if people complained?
Or what if in a Jewish community with a sign telling people Jesus is the Lord of Israel? And with a Jewish landlord, would the landlord have legal standing to remove the sign?
On an emotional level the landlord’s actions in the post certainly are moving. But I think it might not have any legal footing to stand on.
However bad a racist’s posted item may be, it’s their property and what in the lease precludes them from their exercise of freedom of speech? I think perhaps the racist should be given his property back and the landlord can see about ways of maybe ending the lease early if there is a legal means for ending the lease early. I’m not sure if anything in the contract between the tenant and landlord allows for what the landlord did.
And I think while something like this plays against a racist today, it may play against people with an honest message tomorrow. I’m just wondering, how under the laws of where they live is it legal for a landlord to assume a paying tenant’s property?
I don’t know the legalities on this but I’ll throw this out.
IC….let’s say that you purchase a home. It is your home. You own it. However, you and your wife decide that with a growing family, you want another home.
Okay, so you purchase that second home but the first home holds sentimental value so you keep your home. Now you have two mortgages and make the decision to rent out the first home.
So a member of the “Black Haters of White Folks” moves in. Problem though is that you did not know the person was an evil racist when you rented your home to him.
The BHoWF member puts up a sign in the yard on your property that you still own. The sign says, “Whities, stay off my property”.
You STILL own the home. It yours and your wife’s. Wouldn’t you take that mess down off your property?
Lynn, without being detailed, my wife and I are at times in the position you described, although I can’t say we’ve ever had a tenant that we found to be objectionable. Just the same, it’s a matter any property owner ponders. And I have to say, the best I can think of is that I would have to try and find ways to end the renting/leasing agreement. I don’t find any legal recourse for me to take any tenants property.
Once you rent/lease property out THE RULES CHANGE. Sure it’s still your property, but you CANNOT REMOVE THE PROPERTY OF THE TENANT, unless they fail to pay rent or somehow they violate the leasing agreement. That’s the only options and someone putting up a racist figure does not break the lease in most cases, UNLESS the property is in an area under HOA covenants and the leasing agreement demands the renter abide by the covenants and those HOA covenants have something against putting up something objectionable in the yard. Which is why HOA’s get support from many folks, because HOA rules can be about as tight as the community cares to make them. But in the case of a home rental, the landlord can’t go taking the renter’s property.
Truth is, that racist could probably sue the landlord AND WIN, just like the police in that area would have to come defend him if anyone in that community attacked him or tried to damage his property. A landlord can’t toss a tenant in good payment standing’s property.
At least from my time in the role I’ve never seen legal support for such. All a landlord has is the provisions of the lease, not a single thing more.
I too wondered about the terms and conditions of the lease agreement and whether the racist tenant would try to take legal action against the landlord for removing the doll.
I am also not familiar with Iowa landlord tenant laws, but from that video, the tenant somehow had this doll hanging from the eaves of this man’s house. They didn’t really show a close-up of how it was affixed and that could possibly right there void any claim the tenant may have.
Depending on what his lease says regarding attaching permanent & semi-permanent fixtures and whether he drilled any holes or nailed anything into the exterior structure of the house to hang that thing, he might wind up liable for damages to the landlord for destroying his property.
Also depending on how clear and specific the lease is, he may have only been granted use of certain parts of the home and could possibly be in violation of his lease, if it turns out he was never permitted to hang any signs or ornamentation on the house.
Somehow I get the impression that Mr. “Big & Bad” tenant doesn’t even have the financial means to pursue any case against the landlord. Even if he did manage to find some sleazy racist attorney to represent him on a contingency basis or for free, he still may wind up opening up a can of worms based on how that doll was attached to the house, if any damage was done and whether he in fact violated his lease, by putting that crap up there in the first place.
If I were, him I would let it go & count my blessings.
Diva,
Try to follow this story. Interesting indeed!
I’ve found an article where the landlord mentions he has legal standing to have removed the offending material.
I-Team: Controversial Yard Decoration Removed
I’m very happy to see that the landlord has all the bases covered. I really don’t like when racist get the last laugh.
Thanks for posting that link & update. I felt that the landlord didn’t just act irrationally, but did so with some sort of legal leg to stand on. I still questioned how that object was hung from the house and whether the tenant damaged the exterior of the home or violated any agreement he had with the landlord in putting it up in the first place. Oh well, guess that solves that. The racist can now keep it movin.