GLENDALE'S ANTI-RENT-CONTROL MEASURE DRAWS SUIT.

Byline: Naush Boghossian Staff Writer

Rent-control supporters filed suit Tuesday against the city of Glendale, challenging a City Council decision to place an anti-rent-control measure on the ballot.

The Glendale Tenant Association's suit, filed in Los Angeles County Superior Court, argues that signatures obtained by anti-rent-control petitioners for the measure were invalid and that petitioners missed a key deadline.

The suit, which comes two weeks after the City Council decided the anti-rent-control measure will appear on a future ballot, also names Property Owners for Property Rights Protection - which circulated the petitions - and measure backers the Glendale Chamber of Commerce, the Glendale Association of Realtors and the Foothill Apartment Association.

A spokesman for the property owners group could not be reached Tuesday but the group has denied any wrongdoing in the matter.

Ken Carlson, tenant association spokesman, said he hopes a judge would rule on the legality of the petitions.

In dispute is whether a law change moved the deadline for Property Owners for Property Rights Protection to submit their petitions by May 7. The group submitted them on May 12.

City Attorney Scott Howard has maintained the anti-rent-control group met the proper deadline. He said Tuesday that the council would discuss the suit in close session next week.

The Glendale Tenant Association also claims improprieties in the gathering of signatures, saying some of the signers were misled.

Howard said he had seen no evidence of fraud.

The council has until Nov. 4 to consider the costs of conducting an election.

Naush Boghossian, [phone]

naush.boghossian(at)dailynews.com