Evening star., 1942-01-04
Cogswe|| Holds Rent
Hearing; Finds Many
Misunderstood Law
Hears Varied Complaints
Woman Seeking House
Coils on Him for Aid
By JAMES Y. NEWTON.

WILL COUIL WucTc people COIuc W SPAAA
their woes, due largely to public
misconception of what the Districts
new rent control law is all about.
He finds also there apparently are
numerous landlords who haven't
heard Of the law, what with many
tenants complaining they are
threatened with eviction unless they
pay more rent.
An elderly woman broke down and
cried yesterday in telling Mr.. Cogs-
we'll how a tenant cursed her over
q misunderstanding about last July's
rent. She contended the tenant had
not paid for the month and sought
to enlist the administrator to help
her collect. He sent her to Municipal
Court. He listened to her story pa
tiently, although his outer office was
crowded with others seeking en-
lightenment.
Another woman telephoned: "Are
you the rent administrator? Well, I
certainly am having a terrible time
finding a house Do you have any
thing down there for about $50?"
Mr.. Cogswell looked over the line Of
people waiting to see him, said he
had worries of his own, and added
he was very happy that the job OF
finding houses wasn't his.
There was evidence to show that
most of the serious cases of rent
''gouging" are in furnished apart
ments. One man said he rented an
apartment for $50, furnished it and
sublet it for $3.50. He wanted to
know If he was within his rights.
He found what the administrator
had to say was decidedly discourage
ing.
Hearings Strictly Informal
So far, Mr.. Cogswell's hearings
have been strictly informal. He has
taken action only in very serious
cases like the one on Friday where
a woman charged her landlady with
turning off heat and hot water in
a threat to get her to move. Next
week, when printed complaint forms
are ready, and his Office is COM
pletely stated, he expects to start
cracking down"
One of yesterdays most serious
complaints was lodged by woman
tenant Of Eighth street NE. She
rented the apartment last Septem-
ber for $4335 month. On Novem-
ber IA the rent was raised to $50
without any increase in service. She
was told to pay or get out, so she
paid. There was no place to go. II,
on investigation, the administrator
finds the charge to be true, the
rent will be set back to $43.35.
All persons owning apartments
which have been furnished or fixed
up greatly in 1941 face the posi-
bility of losing the price of the extra
services for January. On January
l, 1941. the laws freezing date. one
man was renting a ramshackle house
for $25 month. During last year
he spent $4,000 in remodeling the
place. The current tenant pays $50
a month and is satisfied But, under
the law he may charge only $25
until his case is heard and adjusted.
This same ruling applies to those
with newly-furnished quarters who
wish to be on the safe side.
A Southern Maryland woman left
her farm where she raised Irish
setter pups and moved to Washing
ton last spring. She rented an un-
furnished house for $50, furnished
it, sublet it for $50 and moved out
She was told she could charge only
$50 until she had filed a claim and
the case was cleared.
"Oh," she said, Il had rather
gather up the furniture and move
back with my dogs than go to all
that trouble"
Landlord Has Trouble.
In another case a landlord COM
planned his tenant was using the
control law as an excuse for not
paving full rent. The tenant, who
had been paying $40 all last year,
refused to pay more than $35 on
January l. He threatened to take
the landlord before Mr. Cogswell.
The administrator told the landlord
he could demand and collect the
full $40.
A man and wife rented an apart
ment on Ridge road Sc. for $3.50
last April. Using the threat to
evict them, the landlord raised the
figure to SAL in September. In No
vember the rent was again lifted,
this time to s45. This morning the
landlord insisted on $45 for Janu-
ary, and when it was refused he
started moving out the furniture.
The wife, rather than have her
furnishings put on the street with
no place to 60, paid the S45. Mr.
Cogswell warned the landlord faces
serious trouble unless the added
rent is refunded Immediately. The
law states that landlord who in
nocently violates it is subject to suit
for $50 and costs. Where the law Il
willfully violated he faces a fine O
Jail sentence.
Mr.. Cogswell warned of the pos
sible danger awaiting a LANDLORD
even when tenant is apparent.
satisfied with an increase in rent
A woman called to say she owned
40 apartments and she had raiset
the price of all of them in 194l
In every case, she said, the tenan
was satisfied. Mr.. Cogswell urget
her to return the extra rent col
lected for this month. He pointet
out that should one tenant become
dissatisfied at some future date, h
could charge her with violating tn
law and would probably win hi
case.
Persons in all walks of life ar
appealing to Mr.. Cogswell for hell
and advice. He gives every calle
opportunity to state his case. Yes
terday nearly 500 telephone call
and more than $50 personal visit
were handled by the administrator
He states simply that he will CO
operate completely with the publi
and expects cooperation in return
He worked all day on New Years
Today he planned to be at tn
Office answering some of the hun
dreds of written complaints ar
irving with every mail.
n1.