Every January as a new year starts so do many new California laws or proposed increases in services that effect everyone in the neighborhood throughout the year. This year there are over 800 laws to start January 2, 2013. Here are just a few of the highlights of laws and rate hikes which will or could directly effect our Castro neighborhood.
No More Free Sunday Parking: as we noted in an earlier post in Dec. of 2012, free meter parking stops on Jan. 6, 2013. Meters will be enforced from noon to six every Sunday. Revenue reportedly will be set aside to improve and repair MUNI. Parking tickets start at 65.00. Here is a
link to SFMTA suggestions and rules for parking in the City.
Mortgage Protection: Castro has seen it's fair shares of protest regarding bank foreclosures on it's residents. New laws will restrict banks from pursuing dual tract foreclosures. This means banks can't help a homeowner renegotiate their home loan while at the same time foreclosing on them. Purchasers of foreclosed homes must also give homeowners a 90 day warning before even starting eviction proceedings. These laws and other are part of the
'Homeowners Bill of Rights'. These laws go into effect in January 2, 2013.
Garbage Fee Hike: As reported in the
SF Gate, a new proposal from Recology, the City's trash hauler, seeks to increase collection rates starting in July 2013 as people continue to throw out less garbage and recycle more, and many customers who don't step up their recycling habits will face a price increase on their monthly bill. Since the last rate increase in 2006, more people have switched to smaller black trash barrels and requested larger barrels for free recycling and compost services. Going green translates to less cash for Recology's coffers so they're figuring out other ways to get compensation. Sadly this doesn't equal more public garbage cans so our streets will remain as garbage strewn as ever.
Declawed Pets: This new animal friendly law keeps landlords from demanding tenants declaw their beloved pets to rent a unit. Barbaric practice has been a bane to every animal owner and used to discriminate against animal loving renters. This new law starts January 2, 2013.
Prop 8/Marriage: If and when the marriage equality debate is sorted out by the US Supreme Court ministers, preachers, and priests will have the legal right to refuse to marry same sex couples if it violates their religious beliefs. It also keeps churches that refuse from losing their 501c3 tax exempt status for refusing. This law was brokered by Gay SF Sen. (D) Mark Leno.
Sales Tax Hike/Prop. 30: Due to voter approval in the last voting cycle of 2012's Proposition 30 there will be a statewide base sales and use tax rate increase of one quarter of one percent (0.25%) on January 1, 2013. The higher tax rate will apply for four years – January 1, 2013 through December 31, 2016. For the full story on who this affects and how businesses will be charging you go to the CA Board of Equalization's
official state site and learn more.
These myriad of new laws enacted by the State legislature and signed by Governor Brown will effect our daily lives. For a more complete list go
here. As they say, "ignorance is no excuse" so be aware and know all your rights and responsibilities. In addition to these new laws and cost of living increases listed rate hikes are rumored to be coming down the pike from PG&E as well to offset their cost for the SF, gas pipe leak, disaster of 2011.
