Moermond: Ms. Stites what are you looking for?
Stites: part emotional and part illegal. Some background information, yes, I had an
illegal duplex. Out of necessity because I’m on disability. I lost my home. The lady I
rented to is a client of Emma Norton. She has some mental issues and was homeless
for six years. This is the first nice home she has had. That’s the background. The very
first appointment inspection that happened, I was not called or made aware. He
showed up without an appointment. The appointment letter says that you have to have
a responsible adult there during the inspection and there was no responsible adult. I
was not notified or there. The lady who was renting has mental problems so she is not
a responsible adult. That’s the first problem.
Moermond: let me confirm, you are running an illegal duplex and renting to a vulnerable
adult?
Stites: correct. The tenant’s worker was a lady from Emma Norton and they sponsor
her. They approached me and asked me to give her a chance, so I did. As far as not
being able to get in, when he did come in he told me to remove the fridge and stove.
The things he requested the first time were all done. I have a letter saying that. I can
show you a copy of it. There was no request for a smoke detector because I had just
replaced them throughout the whole house, along with carbon monoxide, so that’s not
true. The only thing I couldn’t do was the stove and fridge removal because of this
action I lost my income. I had no money; I couldn’t even make my mortgage. The
cheapest estimate was $200, the most was $450. I couldn’t afford that without my
rental income. So I kept asking for an extension and he kept wanting to come out
every week, but why do that if I haven’t been able to remove the stove and fridge? I
would tell him every week don’t come out because I haven’t been able to do it, there is
no change. He comes out every week anyway. He can’t get in because I told him not to
come. Then he starts charging me $122 every week. How are you going to get money
out of a person who is disabled and bankrupt? I can’t make my mortgage without my
rental income. Now he’s charging me a fine every week for the same thing. How can he
fine me every week for the same thing? He should fine me one time, not every week. I
don’t have the money and I think it is illegal to fine me every week for the same
problem. This has been a nightmare. The lady who was renting, they gave her 2 weeks
to move, where is she going to go? The worker tried to help her; they couldn’t get a
mover soon enough. They couldn’t find a home for her. So her worker got Inspector
Williams to give a couple more weeks, but that didn’t help. She couldn’t find a home
that quick so as a result of all this insanity this action has left me bankrupt, I’m in
bankruptcy now, and her homeless again. It all started with an extension cord. Now
there’s a 73 year old woman and a woman with mental health issues homeless. She
called me crying 2 days ago asking to come home. I don’t know about you guys, I
have a big heart, this whole thing has been unjust. There should be some sort of a
compromise. Something other than the eviction.
Moermond: I’d like to clarify. You’re talking about her being forced out. Nothing I am
looking at says it needs to be vacated. Ms. Martin, did you order this unit vacated?
Martin: there was a condemnation notice November 3, 2021 with a vacate notice. The
second floor illegal apartment was condemned, it was not approved for occupancy.
Provide access for verification. The extension cords have been removed but other than
that we haven’t been able to verify it is no longer being used.
Stites: that is not true. Inspector Williams had several conversation with the tenant’s
caseworker. The talked and he knew that, I think he did come in once, he knew it was
all taken care of. He had an issue with a couple outlets. That was taken care of. He
never asked for smoke detectors. That isn’t true. He did see the stove and fridge