Writing Assignment (20% of total grade/ 100 points possible)
The purpose of this writing assignment is to research statutory law to answer questions based on a case scenario. Students are to do their own work and may not receive assistance from anyone else.
Upload the completed assignment into Canvas by the due date and time. Students are encouraged to submit the assignment before the due date to avoid submitting a late paper.
Point Deductions:
Answers must be double-spaced. (-5 points)
Quotes included in the paper that are longer than three sentences may be single spaced, such as quoting language from a statute.
Use 12-point type. (-5 points)
The assignment shall not exceed (4) four pages. (-5 points)
The answers to each question must be separately answered and identified as “Question 1”, “Question 2”, etc. (-10 points)
Papers that cover a case or topic other than set forth below will not be graded and receive zero points.
When required by the question answers to each question must be written using complete sentences and paragraphs. (-5)
Do not use an outline format or bullet point format, doing so will result in a ten (10) point deduction.
Late Assignments: Assignments are due on the date and time indicated in the course schedule. There will be a 10-point deduction for papers submitted late. A paper submitted at 5:31 pm or after on the due date is late. An additional ten (10) points will be deducted for each calendar day that an assignment is late. Papers submitted after there has been a 100-point deduction for being late will not be graded.
Extensions of time: Students are given plenty of time to complete this writing assignment. However, if a student will be unavailable to turn in the paper on the due date because of participation in university-sponsored activities such as debating contests, musical or theatrical performances, or intercollegiate athletic competition, or any other reason deemed excusable by the instructor, the student must request an extension of time prior the date and time the paper is due. Extensions of time requested after the due date and time, no matter the reason, will be treated as a late paper.
Paper will not open in Canvas. It is recommended that students use Word or PDF formats when submitting their paper. If the writing assignment has been submitted timely, but the writing assignment will not open in Canvas, the student will be notified by email to re-submit their paper by email. Students will have 24 hours after being notified by email to re-submit their paper. If the paper is not re-submitted within 24 hours, the Late Assignment rules will apply after the 24-hour period for re-submission.
Common mistakes:
Not following directions of the assignment.
Page length exceeded
Late assignments
Not identifying the questions/answers
Not enough facts or no facts
Summarizing the law or substituting key legal terms for other words (Include the exact language from the law)
Incomplete citations to the law
Questions During the Assignment:
If you have questions, please see me during office hours or after class. Please do not wait until the last moment before the paper is due if you have questions.
Fact Scenario – Tenant screening.
Pat is looking for an apartment to rent in Bellingham, Washington. Pat is a student attending Western Washington University. Pat is looking for a two-bedroom apartment near campus with a one-year lease.
Larry is the owner of Larry’s Apartments, LLC. Larry owns a four-unit complex and has one apartment remaining for lease. Larry has a very basic website that only contains Larry’s contact information and four (4) pictures advertising the two-bedroom apartment.
Pat meets Larry to view the apartment. After seeing the apartment, Pat tells Larry to start the rental application process. Larry told Pat that there is a minimum non-refundable flat fee of $250 for a “screening check” for all applicants. Pat asked Larry what information is included in the “screening check” and Larry replied “The standard background stuff.”
Pat was concerned about the availability of apartments, so Pat paid the $250 screening fee. After a week, Pat had not heard back from Larry. Pat phoned Larry to ask about the status of the rental application. Larry told Pat that the rental application was denied because of adverse information in the tenant screening report. When Pat asked what “adverse information” caused the denial, Larry told Pat that it was against the law for a landlord to disclose any information to an applicant about the information that caused the rental application denial. Pat was concerned, Pat only had five previous parking tickets and one traffic citation for speeding.
Pat had recently taken MGMT 271 and remembered something said in class about looking up the law for oneself rather than have someone else tell you what they believe the laws says.
Answer the following questions by researching the Revised Code of Washington (RCW):
Pat wants to verify the information provided by Larry. Pat will need to research the RCW for laws that govern relations between residential landlords and tenants. (10 points possible)
What is the specific title and chapter number from the RCW where Pat will find the residential landlord and tenant laws, for five points?
What is the full name of the chapter for five points?
Pat needs to know the legal definitions of some of the terms used by Larry. (15 points possible)
What title, chapter, and section of the RCW provides definitions for terms used in the laws that govern residential landlord and tenant relations, for five points.
Provide the RCW definition of “Tenant screening.” Five points for the correct citation to the law (title, chapter, section, and subsection) and five points for the exact wording for the statutory definition.
Pat wants to know the specific law that governs tenant screening for prospective tenants and screening costs. (10 points possible.)
Provide the citation for the law (title, chapter, and section) that governs the prospective tenant screening process and costs, for five points.
Provide the exact and full name of the law that governs the prospective screening process and costs, for five points.
Answer the following question, based on the law used to answer Question 3. (25 points possible.) There are notification requirements that require Larry to notify Pat about the types of information that will be accessed to conduct the tenant screening prior to obtaining any information from Pat. There are two ways to notify prospective tenants of the information to be accessed for the tenant screening set forth in the law. Answer in complete sentences.
Did Larry comply with the two methods of notification required?
Five points for the correct answer. Five points for including the applicable language from the law in the answer. Provide the citation to the law (title, chapter, section, subsection, and paragraph), for five points. Ten points for supporting the answer by applying the correct facts to the law to the answer whether each of the two notification requirements were met by Larry.
There are requirements that must be met for a landlord to charge a prospective tenant for costs incurred for a screening report. (20 points possible.)
Has Larry met the legal requirements to charge for a screening report?
Answer in complete sentences. Five points for the correct answer. Five points for applying the correct facts to the law in the answer. Five points for including the applicable language from the law in the answer. Provide the citation to the law (title, chapter, section, subsection, and paragraph), for five points.
Larry told Pat that the rental application was denied. (20 points possible.)
Does Washington law prohibit Larry from giving Pat information about why Pat’s application was denied?
Answer in complete sentences. Five points for the correct answer. Five points for applying the correct facts to the law in the answer. Five points for including the applicable language from the law in the answer. Provide the citation to the law (title, chapter, section, subsection, and paragraph), for five points
Only source should be the Revised code of Washington
