“Success is the ability to go from one failure  to another with no loss of enthusiasm.”             -Sir Winston Churchill   

OWNERS NEWSLETTER – JUNE 2007 

FLOODING – Many of our property owners have been e-mailing and calling us to inquire about their properties after hearing of the recent flooding in central Texas. It’s probably been fifteen years since we’ve seen so much rain in such a short period of time. Some areas received over twenty inches of rainfall just during the last week of May alone. Stillhouse Hollow Reservoir is presently twenty-six feet above normal and both it and Belton Lake have all but one or two of their parks closed. Many of the pavilions are under water at this time. Some streets in Killeen are still under water and are closed. Six people have died as a result of the storms and flooding.

We received numerous calls from renters ranging from leaking roofs, flooded homes, backed up septic tanks, etc., and other water related problems. At times, we could not respond immediately due to violent thunderstorms and torrential rainfall. At one point, most of the roads in Killeen were closed by the city due to the dangerous driving conditions. Owners whose properties sustained damage as a result of the flooding have already been notified. If we haven’t called or e-mailed you, it is likely that your property is fine. 

TORNADO – Some of you may have also heard about the tornado that touched down in Northeast Killeen on Friday, May 25^th. The damage it caused was very random. On that Friday and the following day, we surveyed all of the properties we manage in this area and miraculously, none had been touched. However, properties close by or on the next street over to some we manage sustained heavy damage. Those of you that own properties we manage in this area are indeed fortunate.  

DOGS ALLOWED – If you are a property owner that has a “no pets” allowed policy, some pets are excused from this requirement under the law. If a tenant suffers from depression and requires an “emotional support” animal, the tenant is entitled to an exception to the rule as long as he or she can provide a doctor’s note that the animal is necessary to improve symptoms of the tenant’s disability.  

LATE RENT – Under the law, a property owner must accommodate a renter that requests an extension on the rent due date if he or she receives government disability benefits. Disability benefits are often received later in the month and renters may request the time extension in order to cash the check and then pay rent. This does not excuse the renter’s obligation to pay the rent in full.  

David Gerke

CO-Owner/Broker