What Happens When a Lawman Sides With Renters Over Banks?

Mike Riggs | October 9, 2008

While charming in a Sheriff-of-Nottingham-joins-Robin-Hood sense, law enforcement powers are most intolerable when they are misapplied to the detriment of property rights:

Sheriff Thomas J. Dart said Wednesday he is suspending foreclosure evictions in Cook County, which had been on track to reach a record number of evictions, many because of mortgage foreclosures.

He said many of the evictions involve renters who are paying their rent on time but are being thrown out because the landlord has fallen behind on mortgage payments.

"These mortgage companies only see pieces of paper, not people, and don't care who's in the building," Dart said. "They simply want their money and don't care who gets hurt along the way.

"On top of it all, they want taxpayers to fund their investigative work for them. We're not going to do their jobs for them anymore. We're just not going to evict innocent tenants. It stops today."

Whole thing here.