LANDLORD BLUES: Escrow Program Part II

My uncle was an attorney. He died in 2010 on September 15th. I didn’t get into much trouble while he was living, but he taught me something. There is no decision in this country that can’t be appealed. So, on December 2, 2024, when I discovered that I had been evicted, I thought, appeal! I called the court to find out why I was evicted the file hadn’t come down, yet. I was told to write the judge and tell her what had happened was…I was sitting in my kitchen waiting to be let into the ZOOM and no one came to get me and bring me into the hearing for the judge’s verdict. I can recall the afternoon of September 4, 2024. A woman had called Clarence Cohen while I was in his office irate and saying she had been evicted and all her stuff had been rambled through, stolen and put out on the street. I looked Mr. Cohen straight in the eye and he dropped my gaze. When he hung up with the young woman, I asked, “I thought you said I can’t be kicked out?” He made a gesture to dismiss the phone call, “She’s always missing her court dates.” She had clearly stated in the call that her court date hadn’t come up, yet. I know now from not being let into the verdict that the clerks at 50th District Court were working with the slumlords in the city to get rid of their tenants in the escrow program. That’s why I wasn’t let into the ZOOM verdict. They are on the take and getting cash to get mostly Black women put out their homes.

I went to the City Council Meeting to complain. They got me in touch with my Councilperson, Melanie Rutherford. When she didn’t contact me, I went to the Deputy Mayor and told him my problem. He told me to put it all in writing to Rachel Loughrin, who is in charge of Code Enforcement. I did that to no avail. When I went in to drop off the letter, I was asked to wait. I was told that Ms. Loughrin had asked me to wait. She claimed to had not asked anyone to ask me to wait. After Melanie walked in with the letter I had written to her in hand. “I got your letter, Lesley!” She proclaimed. “We gotta do something about this Rachel, she’s going to sue us!”

“I sure am!” I exclaimed back. “Nope, Lesley, I got this!” Melanie scolded. “She’s not crazy and she will sue the city. You’re not supposed to be evicted in the escrow program.” John McIntyre had walked into the impromptu meeting. “Is that what the ordinance says?” He asked. “Yes,” Rachel replied not looking at him. Yeah, that’s what It says.” Melanie second Rachel. “Sure does!” I gave my third. He looked at Rachel, but she still didn’t return his glance.

Melanie continued her rant. She was going to get me a new apartment in Westwood, a new construct in her district. When I went home and saw the website, I was pleased. She told me to fill out some papers at MDHHS and see somebody at CCRT, Catholic Social Services. I did everything she asked me to do. We talked in-between and we were still on the journey to get me into this apartment. Well, one day I called to see what the issue was and when I was moving. She told me that they didn’t have any vacancies. I didn’t believe her and stayed cordial throughout our phone conversation. Once we hung up, I called the apartment complex. “Hi,” I said, very nicely. “Do you have any one-bedroom apartments available?”

“Yes, we do!” He was very nice and cordial. “In fact, we have one coming up in three days” “It is $1,050 a month.” He was still cordial.

“Oh, it’s not $1175?” I asked. “No, our two-bedroom apartments are $1175.”

I ha filled out an application for this place. It was one of the things Melanie had asked me to do. See, I had no heat in my apartment and when Melanie and I went through this it was December 2024. I was in that apartment freezing. My slumlord hadn't fixed the heat from last year. He told the judge he would fix it on January 17. I'm still living in a hotel.She told me in one conversation that she was thinking about having me come to her house to stay. That was all until I caught her in that lie. At this point I’m a violent troublemaker, let Melanie tell it.

“Yes, I got your application. You don’t meet the requirements to live here. You have to make three times the rent to live here.” “Melanie said that she would make that good with you, because the city got me evicted.”

He listened stoically and I hung up telling him that I would be calling at the city to get some help, because Melanie said she would take care of all that, because I told her I wouldn’t be eligible. That’s how I ended up in Clyde’s place in the first place. She promised to help and take care of all my situations and every place I lacked; she lied! On January 5, 2025, I went to live in a hotel. Melanie told me that the people that owns the apartment and her were good friends and the idea that I had said she misconstrued the price of a one-bedroom apartment would make them not want to rent to me; period, no matter what she had to say. She hung up from me and told them that I was a violent troublemaker not fit to live in their complex. I haven’t heard from her since.

I went to court last week, before Honorable Judge Jeremy Bowie. My slumlord had a city inspector there to testify that the apartment is unlivable, because the pipes are frozen and have burst. I need to evict the premises in 24 hours. This is the same city that refused to come to the building to inspect the property for the last six months I’ve been asking. The Oakland County Sheriff Department (OCSD) called Cyril Hall, my slumlord’s lawyer, and they listened to all my phone calls and told him I was on the phone with Rachel Loughrin. I was telling her what her inspector was doing. She had no idea. He called in the middle of our conversation. She asked me in the middle of our conversation, “Who is Cyril Hall?”

I replied truthfully, “My slumlord’s lawyer.” On that she asked to end the conversation. You can’t make this mess up! I can’t tell you how much disbelief I’m in. Tim Grimmel has this new administrative assistant that believes more in her skills than she should. If she’s standing between him and me, I’ll never talk to him. This situation reminds me of scripture, “Where sin abounds, grace abounds even more.” That’s Romans 5:21. Melanie claims to be a mental health advocate. She claims to have PSTD. I can't tell, I suffer from mental illness and she denies I'm mentally ill and dropped the ball on getting me help finding a home. She is a piece of work and under investigation by the FBI for extortion and bribery. I pray she get's through and the Feds will have the same mercy on her as she did on the woman who attacked her back in 2022. The way she handled me, I can surely see why someone would want to beat her up. She is not a good person.