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| FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE |
| State Rep. W. Curtis Thomas |
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Urban Affairs Committee advances property tax/rent rebate legislation
Thomas amendment to strengthen bill also approved by committee
HARRISBURG, Nov. 4 – State Rep. W. Curtis Thomas, Democratic chairman of the House Urban Affairs Committee, announced the approval of legislation (H.B. 415) aimed at ending the practice that allows landlords to claim a portion of a tenant’s state rent rebate check.
Thomas offered an amendment to the bill that would amend the PA Taxpayer Relief Act that authorizes the Senior Citizens Property Tax and Rent Rebate Program. The amendment adds penalties for violating the act.
"My amendment would ensure that House Bill 415 will provide penalties for landlords who violate that statute," explained Thomas, D-Phila.
Under the Thomas amendment, a landlord violating the act would be required to reimburse the tenant for any portion of a rebate that was confiscated by the landlord. The amendment also includes a penalty payable to the Department of Revenue, equal to 25 percent of the total amount of the tenant’s rebate. The penalty would bear interest at the rate of 1.5 percent per month from the date the penalty was assigned until paid in full.
"The rent rebate program is meant to help Pennsylvania residents who are facing difficult economic circumstances," said Thomas. "We must end the practice of landlords profiting off of state assistance meant for those in need."
Currently, some personal care homes include a lease provision, often overlooked or not understood by tenants or their family members, which allows the personal care home to claim a portion of the rebate designated for a tenant, typically 50 percent or $325. Perhaps even more troubling, Thomas said, is the fact that the state Department of Public Welfare provides language for the practice in the contract it supplies for use by personal care homes.
The Property Tax/Rent Rebate Program, funded by lottery revenue, provides low-income seniors, widows, widowers, and those with disabilities with a rebate of up to $650 on property taxes or rent paid the previous year. House Bill 415 would ensure that funds designated for rent rebates actually benefit the eligible renters, not their landlords.
House Bill 415 moves to the full House for consideration.
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