Alfonso Todd, of Project R.E.A.L., has published a disturbing videotape of an Allentown family who pays their rent, yet is constructively evicted from their apartment at 47 N. 7th Street. That's the old Linden Bar Hotel, owned by Pauline Martinez. Distraught parents of a three-year old girl, along with other tenants, pay $80 per week. They nevertheless receive a letter, dated December 27, giving them five days to get out. On January 3, electricity and water is cut, and this family is on the street. There never was any heat although the landlord had promised to take care of that.
A local "shelter" has no beds. The Salvation Army is unable to help, at least not right away. Three police cruisers come to the property after the landlord changes locks and won't even permit one tenant to retrieve her prescribed medicines. They take lots of notes, but are unable to do much. When the mother tries to open the door to her apartment, one of her landlords closes the door on her. The landlord apparently is behind on her water and power bills. The tenant calls the local newspaper, and is told they don't do those kinds of stories. Police then tell the mother that if she remains at an apartment with no power or heat, Children & Youth will have to take her daughter.
You can see these videos yourself here, here, here and here. In the final segment, posted above, you can see the tears well up in this young mother's eyes as she considers the reality that she could lose her daughter.
42 comments:
What a set-up. Landlord has to deal with tennets who live like pigs and then play the sympathy card. Don't have kids when you are a kid.
I think what you mean to say is that you hate poor people. You can't have watched the videos. You have tenants who pay rent and who are given 5 days notice to leave, and then you blame them for a landlord who doesn't even pay her utility bills. Incidentally, you spell like one of those kids.
Bernie,
Where is this mother now? Monday.
This is horrible. I'm sure it
is happening everywhere. It's hard to imagine the police wouldn't let her get her medicine. Thank you for alerting us. Please keep us informed.
This is a tragically common story, and although she probably would have some legal recourses through the courts, legal aid usually has a waiting list of months and the process, as you know, is not a quick one. I'm sure she's already been directed there, but casa guadelupe sometimes is able to give money to those who have been evicted towards paying the 1st month's rent & security deposit on an apartment.
Also, neighborhood churches are usually excellent resources for help and can often provide short-term shelter, as well as food, blankets, small amounts of money, etc... to people in this woman's position. Even if she doesn't belong to a congregation, she may be able to find assistance at a church nearby to her apartment.
Shelters are full year-round, but especially in the wintertime. On top of that, only a small few shelters in the Lehigh Valley will take in families. The waiting list for a room at this time of year could be months long. Some people are able to stay on the couches of families and friends or find new apartments in the interim, but I'm sure just as many end up on the streets.
Wow, what a mess. The landlord should be thrown in jail and have the property taken from him.
Sorry to say, but children and youth should also take the child.
Just a thought...
Why do we don't we refer to these folks as a "Lehigh Valley Family".
Is it because we feel this is someone else's problem rather than our own? Do we feel the public owes the some basic rights as long as it is someone else's public, not ours?
I refer to this family as an Allentown family because it is an Allentown family. If it were and Easton or Bethlehem family, Id note that. If my audience were national, it might make sense to refer to this family as simply a LV family, but my audience is mostly LV and itr makes more sense to them to say where thay are from more specifically. Perhaps you don't like the reference to Allentown. I'll have plenty more to say about another Allentown family later this week.
Anon 7:57,
I will ask Alfonso to update us. I hope the story has a happy ending.
so what can we do? Powerful videos and message. What can we do to help?
Geoff, Our messages criss-crossed. I will wait to hear from Alfonso.
Forget the government for help when a crisis hits! Go to any local church and you will find help. If one church says no..move on til you find the one that will welcome you with open arms! God does care and help is out there.
Is the landlord on Mayor Ed's ridiculous list?
I hope this family is better now, as well as the rest of the people that were in the building.
It seems to me that with all of the Section 8 apartments in the Valley they could go that route. Any idea why not?
11:31 ---- in 5 days over the holidays?
How realistic is that?
Unfortunately, it is very realistic, although it might be inconsistent with your world view. In the four video tapes published by Alfonso, three different tenants completely corroborate what has happened to this young family with their own experiences in the same building.
I suspect that Section 8 housing might be available, but as you may not be aware, there is a waiting list for that. If a tenant pays his money to a landlord who evicts him, there may not be money available for a new apartment right away.
Were these people up to date on rent?
That was not made clear to me on the videos.
TO THE NAYSAYERS:
The 1st knee jerk reactions from many will be.. their Hispanic! Fact is they 'happen' to be in this case. [see the video links below]
This is being played out 100's of times a day throughout America. It's not being shown on the news. Media needs to keep everything looking swell in order to keep attracting spending. Thanks to Bernie, Alfonso, YouTube and others this can be buried little longer. The fact is: America's hurting.
Families of ALL races & incomes have had their mortgages double. Did you have a lawyer read your 5 page mortgage? Or did you trust the person who titled or loaned the money? Renters who have faithfully paid their rents, have had building owners who have not and find themselves tossed out without any notification [on the spot]. Floods that FEMA has failed it's peoples . Jobs that are disappearing.
Are we supposed to ignore this and pretend all the rest of us are immune? We are all one bad loan, hospital visit, stock market drop/swindle, away from the same fate.
How we as a nation will deal with ourselves will tell whether we will succeed or fall as a nation of one. You don't even have to relate to others problems to have those drag us down as well. So if for nothing other then our own selfish interests we need to address this increasing problem. We cannot not do this by blame, accusation nor by ignoring. But I'm sure there will be more then plenty of people who will continue to do just that!
MUST SEES:
U.S. Homeless - This is not America (FACTS)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M_BbonURJ-E
Chuck: A Homeless Vet in L.A.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z8sgC3YJn_k
"Thou you do on to the least of these..."
Yes, these folks were up to date, and the point was driven home in the second or third video.
I think "...in 5 days over the holidays? How realistic is that?" was a response to "It seems to me that with all of the Section 8 apartments in the Valley they could go that route."
At other times of the year, I suspect it would take longer than 5days to locate available Section 8 housing, fill out the paperwork, and move in, even if the tenants had money available. Over the holidays, it would seem nearly impossible to meet that timeframe.
I'm not sure about Pennsylvania, but in other states I've lived in, there is no way a landlord could legally evict a tenant with only 5 days' notice. Unfortunately, as has been noted, going to court will take time, and that does not solve the immediate problem.
welcome to 2009!
I'm not sure about Pennsylvania, but in other states I've lived in, there is no way a landlord could legally evict a tenant with only 5 days' notice.
I'm glad you said that. I also thought there had to be more notice and/or a court order or something before evicting. Is this because the landlord wasn't supposed to be renting or something?
By the way, any word on which media refused to cover this story?
The REAL story could be that this is a common situation were the lanlord rented to a couple of people and learns that a nest of 10 or 20 transients are now living there.
Sadly for some this is all to common in Allentown. The landlord has every right to throw people out who are not real renters, even if they think they are.
On the surface- a sad dilemma, but I sure would like to hear the landlord's side too.
It sounds like an illegal eviction, but...
Also, in public housing (this day and age), new applicants must go through a pretty strenuous process just to be placed on wait lists. Applicants must prove current residency, plus three months of notarized rent receipts, must provide birth records and original SS cards for all on application, show proof of last 10 weeks wages, pension, welfare or other bennies for all 18 and older, a copy of latest bank statements/investments, current gas and electric bills (MUST be paid in full!), marriage cert, employer information, landlord's info, and more....
Getting in to Public Housing is not easy! Also, applicants must submit to a thorough criminal background check and may not be in arrears (must be in good standing) with any other public housing agency in USA.
VOR
Someone asked about the legality of this.
How you can be evicted:
Pennsylvania’s Landlord and Tenant law says that you can be evicted if:
You don’t pay rent;
You don’t live up to your end of the written or oral lease agreement; or
The time for which you rented your dwelling is up, and the landlord wants you to move.
If you have a written lease, you have a right to stay in the residence until the end of the lease term, as long as you live up to your end of the lease. If you do not have a written lease, in most circumstances the law considers you to have an oral month-to-month lease. Either you or your landlord can terminate the lease at the end of any month, for any reason or for no reason.
For a Landlord to evict you in Pennsylvania:
They must go to court, which usually involves these important steps:
1. Written notice. Unless your lease says otherwise, your landlord must give you a written notice before filing an eviction case against you. The notice tells you when the landlord wants you to move. The amount of time the eviction notice gives you to move depends on the length of your lease and the reason you are being asked to move. If you are being evicted because you did not pay rent, your landlord must give you a written notice at least 10 days before filing an eviction case.
If you are being asked to move for any reason other than nonpayment of rent, your landlord must give you a written notice
15 days before filing an eviction case, if your lease is for one year or less; or
30 days before filing an eviction case, if your lease is for more than one year.
Your lease can provide for a longer or shorter notice, or no notice at all.
If you have not moved out by the date stated on the eviction notice your landlord gave you, your landlord cannot just throw you out. He or she must still file a landlord/tenant complaint and go to court, as described below.
VOR
After the video interview, we offered the family food and shelter with Project REAL's available resources, but unfortunately they never took us up on the offer. Ben Nicholson, the filmer, went out yesterday to find and try to follow up with them, but they were no where to be seen. We can only hope that they found their own resources and are doing better.
Alfonso Todd
VOR,
All very true, but there is nothing to stop a landlord who wants to ignore the law from doing so. It appears this is what happened here.
Isn't there some kind of "squatter" law or protection?
I don't know, I don't think these people are telling the whole story.
Sad for the kid all around.
Bernie said- "All very true, but there is nothing to stop a landlord who wants to ignore the law from doing so. It appears this is what happened here."
When you say so. Let's agree that on the surface, the lady appears to have been wronged, but let's remember that there are two sides to this story. What if she did not have a lease? What if she was a squatter? What if her lease was up, she was a poor housekeeper, failed to pay her rent on time, and the landlord wanted to get rid of her for just cause? It would be nice to hear the landlord's side of this, before we automatically assume he is Simon Legree.
VOR
VOR,
I agree the story would be better if we had the landlord's side of the story, but I would not automatically discount what three different tenants had to say concerning what had happened. That's pretty powerful stuff. Also, I cannot think of any circumstance under which a landlord can accept money from a tenant and then kick them out without an order. I cannot conceive any situation in which a landlord may distrain the personal property of tenants, as happened here.
Yes, the story could be better. But it was pretty good standing alone.
They melted into the woodwork since they were there illegally to begin with. Makes me glad our City does not fund Todds goofy program for sqatters and illegals.
Since Anonymous doesn't have the gumption to write his/her name to the comments (which says alot to me) I will respond. The City doesn't fund my goofy program because I am not ASKING for anything. Please see www.projectreal.piczo.com and see how a self sufficient and independent organization creates community events, donates to OTHER non-profits in need, and brings needed issues to the forefront. It's unfortunate that there always has to be a negative comment when the real issue are the people of the Lehigh Valley who are in NEED whether they are legal or illegal, squatters or renters, homeless or abused. Let's stay focused on THOSE who need the FOCUS !
Alfonso TOdd
Alfonso, Well said. If these folks are illegals or squatters, that does not mean they or their three year old daughter should be condemned to the streets. They are still human beings. Some of my friends who saw your videos told me the churches and synagogues will also help if asked. It was very powerful stuff, and I thank you.
If she is a caring mother the child would be taken to the Chidrens Department to be properly cared for. Was the child taken there? If not I think that says a lot.
UPDATE: I received word from the City that the situation is being investigated and the building has been condemned. My advice would be to inform and educate the public DIRECTLY to prevent desperate and poor families from becoming victims of unscrupulous landlords or con artists.
Alfonso Todd
I would be really surprised to find out that these tenants had an actual written lease. I heard that the building was not legal when the tenants moved in, never had heat or electric. Let the buyer, or in this case, the tenants, beware. You need a lease to protect you.
hello there are two sides to the story these people were not paying there rents so i heard they got notices but egnored and the one with the child its not hers , so this is a bunch of nonsense of lies if you choose to go that way , low class i came from the streets homeless too you choose the way of life that you want i dont feel sorry for the dirtbags that lie , thats why what comes around goes around.
its all lies , that what people like to do they want you to feal sorry for them so that they can use that to help them get things for free i cant see people use others for there own benifit it a lie i know this for a fact that puerto rican girl likes to make everyone feel sorry for her, ive been around the block i will asure you im telling the truth when it happens they will look really stupid and ashamed like they should im spanish i cant stand to see others abuse the system , im a honest working women with lots of honesty these people should be ashamed of themselfs for lying god dont like ugly!
that sister in law look like a crack head its preety sad low class people it is a shame i understand there might have been some problems those drug adicts should look some were else to make some money they look horrifying,
I HAVE TO MAKE A COMMENT SOME PEOPLE CHOOSE TO LIVE THAT WAY I CANT FEEL SORRY FOR PEOPLE THAT DONT WANT TO HELP FOR THEMSELVES, I MUST PUT THE COMMENT MAYBE YOU SHOULD CHECK THERE BACKGROUND GET THE TRUE FACTS BEFORE YOU MAKE A COMMENTS WHY THEY GOT THROWN OUT ,IVE SEEN THEM IN ALLENTOWN THERE TRYING TO GET A FREE HAND OUT PUT MY WORDS ON THAT ITS A FACT THATS WHY THEY WILL NOT GET THE HELP , THEY WILL DO IT ALL OVER AGAIN I PROMISE THAT.IF YOU LOOK AT THE VIDEO THEY LOOK LIKE CONS ,
ONE MINOR CONSIDERATION COMES TO MIND HERE, IF CONDITIONS OF YOUR PRIMARY RESIDENCE ARE/WERE THAT DE- PLORABLE, AS YOU STATE,WHY ON GODS GREEN EARTH WOULD YOU STAY IN A HOTEL ROOM WITH A SMALL CHILD AND STAY THERE WITHOUT ATTEMPTING TO IMPROVE YOUR LIVES????????????
you seem to have your information wrong!
this story was first captured by BLURB MEDIA PROMOTIONS which is known for many other ground breaking stories through it's "grownsexysober" channel with youtube.. as for your update contact
blurbmedia67@yahoo.com and they will gladly fill you guys in.
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