European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - November 11, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse Page 14 the stars and stripes sunday november 11,1990 business new problems on the Rise for tenants by Randy Mcclain financial writer Frankfurt Germany a landlords emboldened by rising property values and a tight housing Market in Germany Are taking advantage of a growing number of renters via questionable business practices and americans arc often the victims. That warning comes from two lawyers with the nonprofit tenants Protection association in Frankfurt. The attorneys make their living upholding the rights of renters. Quot this is More of a problem today than it was two or three years ago a said Werner Schaub. Quot landlords feel they arc in a position of Power Schaub and stir gun fir said american renters often Are unfamiliar with German real estate Law and that makes it easier for unscrupulous landlords to take advantage of them. A americans Don t always enforce their rights a bar said. One major problem arises in connection with the Security Deposit in Germany its known As the a aka ution which often can be the equivalent of three or More months rent. A second problem involves landlords who Force old tenants out so they can charge much higher rents to new tenants. When it comes time for a person to move out landlords often withhold All or part of the Deposit under the pretext that damage was done to the apartment. Or they claim the Money is needed to renovate the apartment for the next occupant. Each claim can be legitimate under Standard German rental contracts. But in other cases landlords with no right to keep All the Money try to Bluff tenants into leaving without getting a pfennig Back Schaub and bar said. American Servic members often Are at a disadvantage in such situations because they have orders to report to a new Post in the United states leaving too Little time to Settle the matter the attorneys said. Schaub said american and German tenants Are fight addresses numbers of assistance groups tenant Protection associations operate in Many German cities. In most americans Are encouraged to join. Here a a list of addresses and phone numbers for the organizations in several major cities. Berlin Spicher Strasse 12, 1000 Berlin 30. Telephone a 030-2115096. Munich Sonne Strasse 10, 8000 Munich 2. Telephone a 089-5521430. Cologne 49, 5000 Cologne. Telephone 0221-233373. Nurnberg Schie Gasse 10, 8500 Niernberg 1. Telephone 0911-22029. Stuttgart Mose Strasse 5, 7000 Stuttgart 1. Telephone 0711-248136. Frankfurt Beckenheimer Landstrass 339,6000 Frankfurt. Telephone a 069-5601057. Ing bitter Battles with landlords in All major German cities including Frankfurt Stuttgart and Munich. Quot there Are few apartments on the Market and Many people searching a Schaub said. A it places the landlord m a Strong bar and Schaub said one Way americans and other tenants can enforce their rights is to get expert Legal advice and a review of their rental agreements from the tenants Protection association in their City. Membership in the organization generally costs 120 Marks per year plus a one time 10 Mark membership fee. There Are also Small fees charged whenever a lawyer with the society writes a letter to a landlord on a tenants to marketing top memory Chip Dallas not a restoring a touch of Pride for american makers of computer chips Texas instruments inc. Said it is delivering limited supplies of its Model of the worlds most advanced memory Chip to some of its largest customers. Samsung of South Korea and Hitachi and Toshiba of Japan have made similar announcements within the last two months and Nec of Japan said it would begin Small shipments of its dynamic random Access memory Chip that stores 16 million bits or 2 million characters before the end of the year. Texas instruments one of the few american Chip makers that did not quit making memory chips in the Early 1980s, accounts for a big share of the nations memory Chip output. Japanese companies held 69 percent of worldwide memory Chip sales in 1989, and american producers had 16 percent according to Dat quest inc., a research firm in san Jose Calif. A a it a Nice to know that Texas instruments perseverance has paid off in being Able to compete a said Lone Ishii a Dat quest analyst who follows the Industry. She said worldwide sales of 16-megabit memory chips would exceed $5 billion in 1994. The executive directing Texas instruments production of the advanced memory chips Lionel White said in a statement that design engineers and computer Industry managers believe Texas instruments has a slight Lead Over its foreign competitors. Behalf Schaub said. Also included in All tenants membership packages is the right to hire a German lawyer at no extra charge in the event that a rental dispute goes to court. Higher German rents and a Lack of available apartments Are two problems Likely to persist for the next several years As Germany a status As a world economic Power continues to grow Schaub added. One recent estimate indicates there is already a shortage of 1.2 million apartment units in Western Germany and the number will increase. Quot we Are getting a lot of new citizens in Germany a the tenants lawyer said. New offices Are being built and businessmen moving to the country Are generally willing to pay exorbitant rents in order to move into an apartment quickly he said. The result is that rents Are going through the roof. Schaub said Many landlords Are trying to take advantage of the situation by forcing old tenants out by underhanded Means and then renting apartments to Newcom Elswith bigger bankrolls. One popular ploy is for a tenant to be told that the landlord needs the space for his own use or for a relative to move in Schaub said a later it turns out that the landlords son will not marry so he does no to need the apartment. Or the landlords daughter does no to move Home from Hamburg As she first thought. The landlord turns around and gives the apartment to someone willing to pay a much higher rent Quot Schaub said. The tenants Protection association will negotiate on behalf of victimized tenants and often is Able to find a Compromise without going to court Schaub said. No More than 1 percent or 2 percent of the society a 17,000 tenant members ends up in court the attorney said. A we try in every Case to find a settlement a he opening Branch at Frankfurt shopping area Frankfurt Germany a Andrews Federal credit Union has opened a new office at the Frankfurt shopping Center and plans to install an automated Teller machine later this month. Spokeswoman Mary Beth Harrell said the new office is open for customers who wish to get Loans open new accounts or apply for credit cards. The staff will not handle Cash withdrawals or foreign Exchange transactions at this time Harrell said. The shopping Center office will be open from 10 . To 6 . Monday through Friday and from 9 . To 2 . On saturdays. The credit Union spokeswoman said Andrews automated Teller machine should be on line by the end of november. 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