EVICTIONS

Drew Hamrick, a representative of the Colorado Apartment Association, argued that renters already have protections against certain non-renewals. State and federal law already forbid landlords from refusing to renew for a variety of reasons, including as retaliation for making maintenance requests or as an act of discrimination against protected classes, he said.

Mabrey, the sponsor, argued that those laws are hard to enforce because it’s often impossible to prove why a landlord has refused to renew a lease. A broader law will protect more people’s rights, he said.

“It is incredibly hard, incredibly once displayed in the governor’s o ce. Former state Sen. Lois Court, a Denver Democrat who chairs the building advisory committee, said that “heightens the conversation” around its importance. e seller wrote on their eBay listing that they believe the sconce was removed during Capitol restoration in the 1950s. “Some of the original ttings were removed and discarded,” the listing says. “ is is one of those original xtures.” e seller posted that the sconce has “shu ed around for about the last 70 years or so.” ey estimate the xture, which is 3 feet tall and extends 2 feet from the wall, is 125 years old. ere’s reason to believe the seller, hard to prove discrimination in court … especially for a pro se tenant who doesn’t have an attorney,” he said. e bill would still allow landlords to evict people who commit “substantial” violations of the lease, including failure to pay or refusing to let a landlord into the property.

“THE CONDITION OF THIS SCONCE IS ACTUALLY SUPERB!” the listing says.

Hamrick said landlords need to be able to end a rental relationship. It’s often the best way to deal with issues where a renter is misbehaving but the landlord can’t prove it, he said.

“Just hold your noses, let it go for another three months, and (don’t) renew the lease,” he said of the current approach, which he favors.

In other situations, though, landlords would have to pay to get rid of renters.

For example, if a property owner wanted to demolish, renovate or who has sold 242 items on eBay and has 100% positive feedback, knows what they’re talking about. ey have other lighting items posted for sale, though the Capitol sconce is by far the most expensive. e seller also doesn’t seem afraid to reveal their identity, as several of the eBay listing images feature a man who appears to be holding up the sconce so it can be properly photographed. redevelop their home, they would have to provide “relocation assistance” to the renter, paying the renter the equivalent of at least two months’ rent. e same would apply when owners want to live in the property themselves.

An eBay message from e Colorado Sun to the seller was not returned. e Capitol Building Advisory Committee was also planning to reach out through eBay to the person or people who posted the sconce.

Naumann, the Capitol history bu , originally found the sconce listing on eBay in early January. He said it’s unclear when the item was rst o ered for sale.

In those situations, the landlord would have to give up to 120 days’ notice, which advocates argued would help tenants nd a new place.

One witness, eviction defense attorney Spencer Bailey, described the case of an 87-year-old man he represented, for whom he used a pseudonym.

“He had always paid his rent on time. Mr. Jones had never broken any rules, never had any complaints. He was given only three weeks to move out after living in a place for almost two decades, and he had nowhere to

“Look, most of these items were discarded by the state during renovations decades ago,” Naumann said. “ e only reason we rediscover them is when an entrepreneurial individual like this eBay seller decides to list it online. We shouldn’t make that a crime. If the state wants the sconce back, it should make an o er.” is story is from e Colorado Sun, a journalist-owned news outlet based in Denver and covering the state. For more, and to support e Colorado Sun, visit coloradosun.com. e Colorado Sun is a partner in the Colorado News Conservancy, owner of Colorado Community Media. go,” Bailey said, adding that the man had been on a month-to month lease. e bill “would give people like Mr. Jones substantially more time to nd somewhere to live,” Bailey said. e bill’s next step is the House oor, where it would need to win a majority of the chamber. It also would require approval by the Senate before it heads to Gov. Jared Polis. is story is from CPR News, a nonpro t news source. Used by permission. For more, and to support Colorado Public Radio, visit cpr.org.

Besides, he said, most people with a passion for antiques and history would likely love to help return items like the sconce back to the Capitol.

Five other states have a similar “just cause” or “good cause” eviction law, including New Jersey, California, New Hampshire, Oregon, Washington, according to the National Low Income Housing Coalition. ough those states’ laws have di erent details.