Residential Unit Lease Act of 1979
Latest action. Referred to House Committee on Banking, Finance and Urban Affairs.
Residential Unit Lease Act of 1979 - Declares the purpose of this Act is to establish a private right of action for residential owners of units in cooperative housing projects to prevent abuses in the long-term leasing of project-related facilities. Exempts from the terms of this Act cooperative projects sold by a governmental unit, restricted to non-residential uses, or covered by the terms of the Condominium Act of 1979. Allows the residential owners of a project's units, through a vote of two-thirds of the units unaffiliated with the project developer, to bring suit to void as unconscionable any lease which: (1) is a lease for real estate other than a residential unit but obligates a residential unit owner to pay rent directly or through an owner's association; (2) was entered into when the project developer was in control of the owner's association; and (3) had to be accepted or ratified by the owner or the association as a condition of purchase. Sets forth standards for the courts in determining the unconscionability of such leases. Creates a presumption of unconscionability against any such lease for more than 21 years, either by its terms or through renewal provisions, which contains an automatic rent increase clause and provisions shifting all obligations and liabilities associated with the maintenance and use of the property to the owners. States such presumption may be rebutted by clear and convincing evidence. Renders specified automatic rent increase clauses unenforceable. Declares this Act applies to leases regardless of their execution date but provides an exception for specified leases which, upon expiration, either terminate a cooperative project or reduce the number of units in a cooperative project. Prohibits any class action for violations of this Act in which the plaintiff has not notified the owner's association of the suit or in which the owner's association in a pending suit is seeking to enforce the same rights. Authorizes awards of attorney's fees and other costs. Vests jurisdiction in the district courts of the United States to hear suits under this Act without regard to the amount in controversy. Establishes a statute of limitations for suits to enforce this Act.
Written by analysts at the Congressional Research Service and published on Congress.gov, not by Civibrief. Summarized at the "Introduced in House" stage on March 14, 1979. It describes the bill, it is not the legal text.
Where is it in the process, and what happens next?
4 steps remain before this bill could become law.
The record's latest action, on March 14, 1979: Referred to House Committee on Banking, Finance and Urban Affairs.
- Clearing the committees it was referred to, and being scheduled for a floor vote
- Passage by the House
- Passage by the Senate
- The President's signature. If the President vetoes it, two-thirds of both chambers must vote to override.
How likely is it to become law?
Civibrief does not forecast outcomes and this page has no opinion about this one. What the record supports is a base rate, which is a fact about the whole pile, not a prediction about this measure.
In the 96th Congress (1979-80), 613 of the 12,581 bills and joint resolutions introduced became law, about 4.9 percent. That count covers every measure at every stage, including the many that never left committee.
This one is not there yet: 4 steps are still outstanding, listed above.
Has anyone actually voted on it?
No. No roll call in this Congress cites this measure. That is the ordinary outcome: most measures never reach a recorded floor vote, and a committee ends most of them simply by not acting.
A vote is not the only thing that happens to a measure. Hearings, markups, and referrals are all recorded actions, and none of them is a vote of the full chamber.
Who is behind it?
WILLIAM LEHMAN (D-FL) introduced it on March 14, 1979. No cosponsors are recorded.
Cosponsoring is a formal signature on the text. It is not a commitment to vote for the measure, it does not bind anyone's party, and a long list of cosponsors is a measure of attention rather than of prospects.
How long has it been in play?
It was introduced on March 14, 1979, 17347 days ago. The most recent recorded action was 17347 days ago, on March 14, 1979.
Measures do not carry over. Anything the 96th Congress has not finished by January 3, 1981 dies when the term ends, and has to be introduced again from the start in the next Congress.
Every answer above is assembled from this measure's own record on Congress.gov and from published counts of what Congress has passed before. Civibrief does not predict outcomes and takes no position on any measure.
Vote history
- HouseIn committee, no floor vote yet
- SenateAwaits House passage
- PresidentAwaits both chambers