Help: Does anyone remember seeing a story like this on the local TV news, somewhere between 2000-06?

[GSanon]

Help: Does anyone remember seeing a story like this on the local TV news, somewhere between 2000-2006? (landshark threatens to evict citing “not to carry on any business...” against a writer)



It was an argument about the meaning of a phrase in many leases:
"not to carry on any business, profession, or trade of any kind."
It is usually not enforced without a good reason, but one company chose to use this legalism against a writer, implying that having a product available on a web site violated this verse, and threatened to sue for eviction and payment of the rest of the year's rent. The name seems familiar, but I'm not really sure why. I remember a comment on the show something like: this was a foolish thing to do even if it succeeds in court, because people would find out what happened here, and nobody would want to rent an apartment from that company*. (at least anyone who is a novelist, songwriter, poet, etc.)

She (the writer) ended up removing her book from the website, finish out the term of her lease without the freedom to have her work available, because she did not want to risk eviction and ruined credit, if she might lose the case. (heard this on the show)

At least I hope this kind of zero tolerance policy is extremely rare. If it were common practice, I would have found a story like that on Google by now (literally spent all-night sessions rephrasing this dispute over 100 different ways!). I believe this is a form of predatory lending, and infringement on the freedom of speech and press.

I am definitely interested in finding a copy of this broadcast if possible. I can understand if the footage is lost... in that case I am searching for someone who remembers the show well enough to reliably identify the parties involved. I figure my chances are better asking now than later.

It's also quite unbelievable and sad that even in the Tivo age, information that was on broadcast TV can become forgotten and disappear, when it effects something this important.

I may be interested in talking to the writer that was threatened. Maybe a petition could be named after her. - if something like that ever happens again.

(“13 on your side” seems most likely, yet Ms. Ichton claims not to remember this- maybe a similar series on another station?)

* - I intend to help make this prediction happen. I.E. I need stronger documentation than a vague memory before starting such a campaign. I know for sure something like this aired on Maine's local broadcast TV news.

[GSanon]

1. p.s. "All that is necessary for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing" (Edmund Burke)

I hope you all didn't assume this was a spam or troll.

[Po_d Mainiac]

2. Try a different State...might have been a filler story..not local

[GSanon]

3. Is it safe to assume that this kind of thing is rare? nt

"filler story" as in regional, like NH or Mass maybe?

[peacefreak]

4. long shot

but have you contacted any independent bookstores? A lot of the old ones have closed, but they have long histories of supporting local authors & might remember.

[GSanon]

5. thanks, I have many contacts in the local creative community...

lots of writers, musicians, painters, etc. and most seem to not believe that this happened. (maybe this is already illegal in Maine?)

I bet the LL who did this is already bankrupt by now anyway... most see this kind of action as neither left nor right, just wrong. Something about biting the hand that feeds you, I guess.

[GSanon]

6. another motive I heard for such action... lucifer is in the details, as they say

it might that the LL fears similar verses in the insurance contract... also many factors could swing this question both ways (e.g., it's probably more dangerous if you perform the transaction yourself than if you send your art or literature to a distribution company) I know that the USUAL bottom line seems to be about privacy of the location - in fact, I work in R.E. lending, but to be safe the only thing I can think of is to explain what you intend to do before you move in (also a good way to make the LL feel he can trust you not to do anything bad, btw.)