Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1921-01-02
CURB ON TENANTS
!. ISAIM OF OWNERS
Would Prosecute Those Who
/ Swear Falsely to Aft
davitS.

Prosecution of tenants found guilty
of making false affidavits in resisting
the efforts of home owners to obtain
possession of their property will be
recommended to the United States
district attorney by the District Home
Owners Protective Association.
This and the recommending to Con-
gress of a law under which owners
may obtain immediate possession by
giving superseding bond, were
adoped last night by the association
as the weapons to be used against
profiteering by INSCRIPTIONS tenants.
That many tenants, in their desire
to retain possession of dwellings for
prof1teering- reasons. have made false
affidavits was charged by members of
the association at a meeting held at
903 New York avenue. One of the
officers of the association declared
that he already had brought to the
attention of the District Attorney
alleged perjury on the part of the
tenant now occupying his home. which
he has been unable to secure posses
sion of for nearly year. The case.
he said, would be submitted to the
grand jury.
Would Inform District Attorney.
Expressing the belief that perjury
Rad been resorted to in a large num-
Der of cases. anu that but for this
fact there would not have been so
many appeals. Charles n. Joyce,
counsel of the association. who pre-
sided at the meeting. recommended
that the matter be brought to the
attention of the district attorney.
The meeting voted unanimously in
favor of the suggestion and instruct
ed the chairman to appoint commit
tee to confer with the district at
tcrney.
1t also was at the suggestion of
Mr.. Joyce that the association de-
termjned to propose an amendment
to the bill reported last week by the
Senate judiciary committee in lieu of
the Ball measure repeating the sec
ton of the District code providing
for the summary eviction of tenants.
The association will seek to have
Incorporated in the Senate committee
designed to give bona ide home pur-
chasers Immediate possession of their
property when their right of &C.
cupancy is challenged by the tenants
on appeal:
Right to Immediate POssessiOn.
Whenever an owner of a house
who desires to get possession of it
Tor his own use and occupancy Sc
cures judgment for the possession
of the house in any court. and in case
the tenant appeals and gives the re-
Quired bond, the owner of the house
shall have the right to immediate
possession by filing a superseding
bond conditioned to pay any damage
occasioned to the tenant in case the
Judgment of the lower court is re-
versed- This act shall apply to all
cases now pending. as well as cases
arising after the passage of this act"
The formal action taken by the as
ISOLATION followed q spirited discus,
sion in which many of. the members
related experiences of hardships re-
sulting from their failure to obtain
possession of their homes. These ac-
counts, related mainly by woman own
ers. revealed efforts that have been
made to obtain possession extending
over periods from six months to two
years.
Several at the meeting related their
experiences with tenants one owner
declaring that he had mortgaged his
furniture In order to make payments
on his home, which he could not OBJ
tain. and from which he was receiy-
ing mo- rent, and keep up his living
expenses elsewhere Unless relief
were soon forthcoming, he declared.
ne would be forced into bankruptcy. /,