HRA rent problems

March 17, 2015

I've heard about a very scary rent problem twice in the past year from tenants here at Kenmore Hall - HRA mysteriously stopping their rent payments without notifying them. In one case, a tenant found out while he was down at our local center (Waverly) on other business entirely; a caseworker there volunteered the information while they were reviewing his budget information, and he was able to fix the situation before it became an issue here at the building. In the second case, it became very much a problem - the tenant has had to go to Housing Court about the missing rent payments (and I'll get to a summary of the details soon). This situation prompted me to ask some questions. I've also heard of one other situation that was so bizarre and ridiculous I could barely believe it, except that it came from the horse's mouth and it could only happen to him - and he's still in the building, so he must have found a solution. This particular tenant started getting paper checks twice a month in his mail box in the amount of $107.50 (which adds up to $215 a month; most of us who have a portion of our rent paid by HRA know perfectly well that that's the amount they pay here) and he just started cashing them and spending the money. After a while, he got called into a conference on the second floor and was asked to account for it. His rationale for spending the money was that the checks were arriving in his mailbox, and had his name on them, so he felt entitled to spend them because - after all - HRA must know what they're doing. Long story short, and he didn't tell me the rest of the details, it got solved somehow and it's a few years later, and he's still very much here.

Apparently, HRA's rent checks (yes, they're still paper) go directly to our rent office and get logged in there. I've been assured that if those payments stop, tenants are notified because H.S.I. wants to get paid, and they're supposed to be notified BEFORE it becomes cause for eviction.

The situation isn't completely hopeless provided tenants move quickly and their HRA case isn't completely screwed up. I've checked around with several organizations, and of course there are several "pieces" to the big answer that need to be cobbled together. DISCLAIMER: Please keep in mind that I am NOT a lawyer. This is not legal advice, and I'm not telling you what to do - I'm merely passing on information. I emailed the following question to a batch of organizations that provide assistance to tenants:

"A neighbor of mine is being taken to Housing Court by her landlord because public assistance apparently missed making several rent payments in the past that they were supposed to because she has an open case. PA is making her current direct rent payments, and her Section 8 subsidy is also recently recertified and active. From what she's told me, it sounds like a bureaucratic mistake on the part of public assistance (and they've done this to other people in the same building), and that the problem can be corrected if she goes down to the PA center, makes a complaint, goes through mediation and asks for a fair hearing. Can she ask for an adjournment so that she can pursue getting this taken care of, or should she ask for a stipulation agreement? Her court date is this coming Friday, so she doesn't have a lot of time, and she needs to find a way to avoid having the court judge against her right away since the problem was something she wasn't directly responsible for - she needs some additional time to try to solve the problem. I understand that you don't give legal advice, but given the situation, what options are open to her? Thanks for your assistance."

I got mixed results via email - but keep in mind that the court date was on Friday the 13^th (somehow this figures...) and I was sending out the question just days before. I'd like to point out here that it always pays to start asking questions, gathering your documentation, and making contact with any organization that can help as soon as you suspect there's a problem

: most of them are non-profits working on a shoestring budget with small staffs and only a day or two per week (if you're lucky) when they can answer questions and give advice - and you may need to make multiple trips or calls to get the results you need. It may help to "rehearse" what you need to explain ahead of time so you can hit all the relevant points without dragging the whole thing out so long that they can't help you efficiently. Going to your caseworker here at Kenmore Hall may have limited value: keep in mind that they work for the same landlord that may have you in court, or be about to take you into court. You may need to get information from them in order to establish how bad the situation really is (details on how far behind management claims you are on your rent - get it in writing - but this should be in your court papers) or to let them know that you're trying to solve the problem, but think carefully about signing anything they offer you. You may get a better deal, and one that's legitimate and can be enforced, if you do it in court where there are witnesses.

One organization, Housing Court Answers (they apparently have tables to help tenants in the courthouses), told me this:

"When she goes to Housing Court she can ask in the HRA office for a printout of payments. If she can't get into the HRA office (in some boroughs they are very crowded), she can ask the judge or the court attorney for a note to take to HRA. The printout will show if the payments were not made, or if they were made and the landlord did not cash or accept them. HRA can issue duplicate payments if they were either not made in error or if they were lost. If she was sanctioned and HRA intentionally stopped the payments, she will need to do the type of challenge you mentioned."

Met Council on Housing offered this suggestion:

"Sorry, I know that your friend is slated to go to court today and this is a little late, but it is our understanding that landlords do not have the right to demand rent from the tenant that was meant to be paid by public assistance, even if public assistance makes an error. She should definitely ask for an adjournment and clear things up with the public assistance agency if she hasn't already. Also, Housing Court Answers is a legal organization that has a table in housing court and might be able to walk her through the process."

And finally, I contacted the OTDA (after all, they're essentially HRA's "bosses" and might as well know what's happening to poor people because of HRA's mistakes). They recommended contacting Legal Aid in the appropriate borough. That's fine advice if you have plenty of time, but Legal Aid is chronically backlogged. Here's the appropriate contact information for Manhattan:

Harlem Community Law Offices

230 E. 106th Street

New York, NY 10029

Tel.: (212) 426-3000

Lower Manhattan Neighborhood Office

199 Water Street

New York, NY 10038

Tel.: (212) 577-3300

Fax: (212) 509-8761

Manhattan Housing Court Project

New York County Civil Courthouse

111 Centre Street, Room 106

New York, NY 10013

Tel.: (212) 577-3300

This at least provides a starting point. Make sure to respond to any court papers you receive, PROMPTLY. Ask for an adjournment. Get your documentation organized. If and when I hear of additional solutions, I'll post them on the blog. If you're in the mood for humor, you can also contact the Office of Constituent Affairs if you want to file a complaint about a problem with either OTDA or HRA: call 212-331-4640.

And finally, if you want another way to keep track of your case, check out the eCourts NYS Unified Court System online at http://iapps.courts.state.ny.us/housing/NameSearchServlet
. You can put your name/index number in and get basic information about what's going on - court dates, material on file, etc. I think there's even a way to e-track your case, getting reminders and updates by email. Take a little time to explore the site because there are additional resources about the court system there that's available for free to anyone.

And finally, HRA's Homelessness Diversion Unit (at Waverly, they're on the 3rd floor) is the unit that clears up this kind of mess, especially if you don't have a sanction.

Fw: Register Now for the 2015 Homeless Policy Forum!

From: Care for the Homeless

Subject: Register Now for the 2015 Homeless Policy Forum!

 

Join Care for the Homeless, Baruch College and City Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito for the 2015 New York Homeless Policy Forum   Join Care for the Homeless and Baruch College for the 2015 New York Homeless Policy Forum, a day of panels addressing issues in homeless and housing policy in New York City. Leading advocates, policy-makers, service providers and clients of the shelter system will discuss topics such as issues facing children in the shelter system, experiences of living in the shelter system and the low-income affordable housing market.   Featuring special guest City Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito and Department of Homeless Services Commissioner Gilbert Taylor. Register here or by clicking the banner below. Have questions? Please email policy@cfhnyc.org     When? Wednesday, April 8th from 9:00 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.     Where?  Newman Library, Baruch College Room 750, 151 East 25th Street (bwtn 3rd Ave and Lexington Avenue)  SUBWAY: N, Q, R (23rd Street) or 6 (23rd Street)        Spread the word: Program is free and open to the public - please forward invite to anyone who may have an interest in attending.   Light refreshments and a lunch will be served, please register to attend.    Download digital flier here.   Questions? E-mail us at policy@cfhnyc.org or call 212-366-4459 ext. 206 Care for the Homeless fights homelessness by providing high-quality and client-centered healthcare, human services, and shelter to homeless individuals and families and by advocating for policies to ameliorate, prevent, and end homelessness.  Learn more at careforthehomeless.org.

Forward this email policy@cfhnyc.org |   | Privacy Policy. Care for the Homeless | 30 E. 33rd St. | Fifth Floor | New York | NY | 10016

Retrospective Commentary

There are reasons why some people get banned from the building... Does everyone remember how totally irritating it was to have Sal running around trying to tell everyone how to run their business? Trying to get people to join his bullshit tenants' association, which was his excuse for having a special club?

I asked him one day - when he'd been complaining about the building more than usual (and much more than I felt like having to listen to) why he'd lived here for 23 years if it was so awful, and he said it was difficult for him to move on because Kenmore Hall was his "power base". That's pretty pathetic, when you think about it - it's something only a total loser would say.

It's been a major relief to have him out of the building. 

Daylight Savings Time again

Remember to set your clocks ahead an hour tonight...

Fwd: FEGS

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Asch, Esther Ann <EAsch@fegs.org>
Date: Tue, Feb 17, 2015 at 12:34 PM
Subject: FEGS
To: "crowcorneille1@gmail.com" <crowcorneille1@gmail.com>

​That would be because FEGS IS NOW BANKRUPT!​ On behalf of all the folks who've had to sit through the incredible boredom down on Varick Street over the years, I think I can safely say that FEGS won't be missed at all.

FEGS is in the process   of transferring all of its programs  so we cannot help you

 

 

Your support inspires success! www.fegs.org

Note: The information contained in this email message is intended only for use of the addressee(s) named above. If the reader of this message is not the intended recipient, or the employee or agent responsible to deliver it to the intended recipient, you are hereby notified that any dissemination, distribution or copying of this communication is strictly prohibited. If you have received this communication in error, please immediately notify us by tel (212-366-8400), and discard the original message. Thank you for your cooperation.

mailconn7

a bar code for the building...

Emailing: As if it isnt difficult enough to find affordable housing

FEGS is GONE

I'm sure a lot of tenants will be thrilled to know that FEGS has gone bankrupt and is set to close down in the near future. I've heard so many horror stories about the place from so many people; the organization was completely incompetent and caused a huge amount of grief for most of the people assigned there. This should be a comment on city and state incompetence, though, because FEGS got a lot of its funding from government sources and STILL ended up millions of dollars in debt. Why isn't this kind of thing being audited and reviewed?

Federation Employment & Guidance Service (FEGS) seriously considering bankruptcy

Federation Employment & Guidance Service seriously considering bankruptcy
EXCLUSIVE: The bankruptcy plan comes weeks after the 80-year old charity laid off dozens of employees in its struggle to stay solvent. It remains unclear what will happen to the city agencies that rely on FEGS to help disabled clients land jobs and attend training programs.
BY REUVEN BLAU  NEW YORK DAILY NEWS Tuesday, January 13, 2015, 6:37 PM

A major city nonprofit is seriously considering filing for bankruptcy, weeks after discovering that it is close to $20 million in debt, sources said.

The Federation for Employment and Guidance Services (FEGS) told some of its workers Tuesday that it would likely be left with no alternative to that extreme measure.

It remains unclear what will happen to the city agencies that rely on FEGS to help disabled clients land jobs and attend training programs.

“Some may be gone and some may be transferred,” a source familiar with the charity said.

The bankruptcy plan comes weeks after the 80-year old charity laid off dozens of employees in its struggle to stay solvent.

FEGS spokeswoman Julie Farber said the agency was still reviewing its options.

“We have narrowed the potential pathways we may undertake, and a final decision has not yet been made,” she said.

FEGS assists up to 12,000 disabled people each day and has a yearly budget of about $250 million, funded largely by city and state grants.

The head of the organization has changed three times in the past few months.

rblau@nydailynews.com





I’m just wondering how you just “discover” that you’re $20 million in debt... what kept them from noticing after the first million? City and state government is willing to blow millions on a crap organization like FEGS, but make it really difficult for people on public assistance - especially the disabled - to exist decently. Wouldn’t it be nice to see more of the money spent on screwed up non-profits that waste money and then go bankrupt be spent directly and more effectively on helping the poor and disabled? Is there any accountability?

weather alerts

Notification issued 2/1/15 at 4:36 AM. The National Weather Service has issued a Winter Storm Warning citywide from 7:00 PM, February 1st to 6:00 PM, Monday, February 2nd. The current forecast calls for 4-8 inches of snow. Visibilities are expected to be approximately one quarter mile or less at times. For updates please visit: http://www.weather.gov/nyc.

 

Notification issued 2/1/15 at 5:00 PM. Mayor de Blasio today issued a Hazardous Travel Advisory for Monday, February 2nd. The National Weather Service has forecast 5 to 6 inches of snow accumulation citywide, along with up to a quarter inch of ice accumulation throughout the day Monday. Light snow will begin this evening, with minor accumulation by midnight. Snow will become heavy overnight, with 2-4 inches of accumulation expected. Snow will transition to sleet and freezing rain with an accumulation of up to a quarter inch of ice during the Monday morning hours. Exercise caution when driving and allow for additional travel time.

 

The Department of Sanitation issued a Snow Alert, beginning at 5PM tonight. PlowNYC will be activated and available at www.nyc.gov/severeweather.

 

For more info: http://i.imgur.com/NQpceBY.png.

 

To view this message in American Sign Language (ASL) with audio and subtitles, please visit: http://bit.ly/11wC2C0.

 

Notification issued 2/1/15 at 9:00 AM. The New York City Department of Transportation announced that Alternate Side Parking Regulations will be suspended Monday, February 2 to facilitate snow removal. Payment at parking meters will remain in effect throughout NYC. For more information, please visit: http://www.nyc.gov/html/dot/html/motorist/alternate-side-parking.shtml.

 

To view this message in American Sign Language (ASL) with audio and subtitles, please visit: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G4YXMLzpUII.

 

The sender provided the following contact information.
Sender's Name: Notify NYC
Sender's Email: notifynyc@oem.nyc.gov
Sender's Contact Phone: 212-639-9675

Turning over your ID to get access ...

I found this article by accident today, and want to know what Kenmore Hall tenants think of the answer to this question - people have been complaining about this issue here for years.  Please feel free to comment

Ask A NYC Housing Lawyer: Do I Really Have To Hand Over ID To Enter A Building?

Steve Dobkin and son contemplate tenants' rights on a Park Slope stoop. (Courtesy Private Jake Dobkin Collection)

Do you have a question about New York's complex and sometimes terrifying housing laws? Native New Yorker columnist Jake Dobkin has been receiving a lot of these questions lately, and he's decided to kick some of them over to his dad, longtime NYC tenants' lawyer and housing activistSteve Dobkin. If you have a question, email us and we will pick the most interesting ones to pass along to him.

Today's question comes from a deliveryman who can't stand it when a fancy building requires him to hand over ID just to bring food up to a customer.

So I deliver somewhat fancy food to somewhat fancy buildings. A lot of these buildings have policies that really dick me around—especially when I have to, with my one paper bag, exit the building, walk around the block to the service entrance, and then come back into the same lobby I was just in. But one thing I'm not sure about is ID stuff.

It annoys me to show ID to enter a building, but I get it. But how about the occasional building that makes you give them your ID to hold onto while you're in the building? Is that even legal?

I told the guy to just copy it down and please give it back; it stresses me out to leave it with people. I know it seems like a small thing, but other poor/lower middle class types will know why this annoys me.

Thanks!

A longtime housing attorney responds:

Since 9/11, purported concerns for the security of residents have been used to justify a host of measures invading the privacy of tenants, family members, guests, and visitors. The likelihood is that a delivery guy would be treated by the average judge with even less deference than a visiting in-law.

In 2005, Peter Cooper Village installed a massive electronic key card and video surveillance system which required tenants, family members and anyone who entered the buildings on a regular basis to use an encrypted key card with their picture on it. The Stuyvesant Town/Peter Cooper Village Tenants Association challenged the system in Court and at the Division of Housing and Community Renewal (“DHCR”) on a multitude of grounds, from violating leases and the Rent Stabilization Law to totalitarian enslavement, but in the end the Landlord’s repeated mantra of “Security,” backed by recommendations from a former FBI agent, two independent consultants, and the NYPD Crime Prevention Unit, outweighed all resistance.

Cynics and tenant activists suspected that the real motivation for the installation of the computerized key system was to measure the comings and goings of tenants for use as evidence against them in non-primary residence proceedings, a key feature of the campaign to eliminate long-term lower-rent-paying tenants.

The 2006 opinion by the DHCR Commissioner, which was upheld by the State Supreme Court, noted that since “security personnel may review the photos of card key holders as they enter their buildings, via the integrated CCTV system, it is only logical to allow security personnel to be able to ask for a photo ID of non-key card holders.”

Frankly, it’s hard to envision a realistic scenario in which you, as a delivery guy, will be in a position to challenge building management’s holding onto your ID while you’re in the building. Be thankful you haven’t (yet) been subjected to extraordinary rendition to a black site.

The opinion herein does not constitute legal advice, which may only be given in the context of a lawyer-client relationship.

If you've got a housing question you'd like answered, just drop us a line here.

Contact the author of this article or email tips@gothamist.com with further questions, comments or tips.

Gothamist in News on Nov 28, 2014 11:40 am

 

• advice
 
• ask a nyc housing lawyer
 

Fwd: Help Picture the Homeless Come Home

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Brodie Enoch & William S Burnett, PTH Board Co-Chairs <development@picturethehomeless.org>
Date: Tue, Jan 20, 2015 at 2:19 PM
Subject: Help Picture the Homeless Come Home

We're going back to East Harlem/El Barrio! Is this email not displaying correctly? View it in your browser. Dear Friends, Members, and Allies, Picture the Homeless is moving, and we need your help! Your donation will be matched dollar for dollar by a generous donation from the Sparkplug Foundation.  Picture the Homeless just signed the lease on a beautiful wheelchair-accessible storefront office on 126th Street off of Lexington, around the corner from 3 subway lines and great bus service, but we will need your help to cover moving expenses. Please donate to our GoFundMe crowdfunding campaign today, and help spread the word to create the momentum for us to reach $10K. Please chip in with whatever donation you can manage, and - perhaps more importantly - help us build buzz for this effort on Facebook via the "Share" buttons on the campaign page, and tag your friends - along with a personal note telling them why our work is important to you. We also ask that you forward this email to your networks and tweet the link to the GoFundMe page: http://www.gofundme.com/jvuvpk Here's why this is so important. As a city-wide organization it's essential that we be more accessible to all 5 boroughs. For years we've been meeting strong leaders stuck in shelters in Staten Island and Central Brooklyn for whom traveling to our current spot in the Bronx is simply not possible - most shelters have curfews, some fairly early at night. This move puts us steps away from major bus service to Queens, the 4/5/6 trains and much easier access to Brooklyn and Staten Island, as well as all of Upper Manhattan - which is in the throes of gentrification.  And when it comes to homelessness, the intersection of 125th and Lexington is an incredibly crucial spot. It's the main stop for the M35 bus, the only way off of Ward's Island for the 1,000+ people who are placed in shelter there. It's the site of the Pathmark recycling machines, the most widely-used redemption site for hundreds of men and women who make a living picking up recyclable bottles and cans. It's ground zero for countless kinds of "underground economy" jobs... and, because of all these things, it's become a flash point for civil rights conflict, with rookie cops assigned to that intersection to "practice" violating people's rights via arrests and summonses for quality of life violations. East Harlem/El Barrio is also the center of our Community Land trust work, organizing between homeless people and low-income tenants to collectively develop a community development agenda that stops displacement while creating new housing and decent-paying jobs. Our goal is to raise $20K by January 23rd. A generous donor, the Sparkplug Foundation, has offered a match of $10K, so we have $10K to go! This includes some build out, wiring for computers and phones, packing materials and a truck rental.   Click here for our crowd-funding page, via GoFundMe, and make a personally-meaningful donation today.   In addition, we are super-grateful for any help you can offer in promoting the crowd-funding campaign, spreading the word to your friends and social media networks. Pass it on to all the people of good will in your life, along with a note about why you're supporting Picture the Homeless!   With gratitude, Sam J. Miller Communications & Policy Picture the Homeless  follow on Twitter | friend on Facebook | forward to a friend  Support the leadership of homeless New Yorkers by  making a tax-deductible donation today! Copyright © 2015 Picture the Homeless, All rights reserved. A message to friends, members and allies of Picture the Homeless. Our mailing address is: Picture the Homeless 2427 Morris Avenue 2nd Floor Bronx, NY 10468 Add us to your address book  unsubscribe from this list | update subscription preferences

--

"Never underestimate the power of a small, dedicated group of people to change the world; indeed, that is the only thing that ever has." - Margaret Mead

Fwd: The NYPD Just Admitted That 90% of Their Work is Unnecessary. Homeless People Have Been Saying That For Decades!

From: Homeless Civil Rights Warriors <news@picturethehomeless.org>

TEXT UP HERE Is this email not displaying correctly? View it in your browser. The "Broken Windows" theory of policing has shaped New York City since the 1990's, with police under tons of pressure to make arrests and issue summonses for nonviolent offenses that aren't even against the law - anything to get poor people and people of color out of public view, and make the city safe for business and real estate to jack up the rents and make middle- and upper-class New Yorkers feel safer. Until now. This week, as a political ploy to put pressure on a mayor they say is their enemy, the NYPD has called off business as usual. The leading police union issued a memo telling all officers that "NO enforcement action in the form of arrests and/or summonses" is to be taken "unless absolutely necessary."  The result? Arrests have dropped by 90%. Think about that. The NYPD has just let us know that 90% of the arrests they make are unnecessary. "The reported offenses they aren't enforcing as much are [mostly] not criminal offenses: parking violations, urination in public, public intoxication, as well as some marijuana possession. Do we really want over 4,000 people a week locked up for peeing behind a dumpster?"  asked Marc Krupanski, a program officer at the Open Society Justice Initiative, in an article in Vice Magazine. Our members are the people who have been hit the hardest by broken windows policing. Homeless people face harassment and ticketing and arrest on a daily basis by the NYPD. The city spends billions of dollars to criminalize and persecute and arrest and try and incarcerate the poorest of the poor - but won't spend a dime of that on getting people housing. So we asked our members - what should New Yorkers learn from this work stoppage? Chris: This NYPD scare tactic is idiotic. They've basically just said to us "90% of the work that we do is unnecessary." All this taxpayer money being wasted to lock someone up for a bag of weed or someone peeing behind a dumpster? Dave: So all that crap with Broken Windows was unnecessary. That was overkill. The PBA is not the Policemen's Benevolent Association. It's PMA - the Policemen's Malevolent Association. Thirteen: I talk to cops. I talk to the brass, even. Police are not down with making bogus arrests. That's why top cops have been quitting. Unnecessary arrests just make people mad at cops. That's why people hate cops. When I was a kid the police knew everyone in the neighborhood. We need to get back to that model of community policing. Scott: They can do a lot with the money they save with this. A 90% reduction in the amount taxpayers spend on incarceration could pay for a lot of public restrooms... to say nothing of housing. Maria: They need to listen to what we have to say. They're wasting our time in courtrooms, making us miss work, getting us logged out of shelters, and now we see how unnecessary that was. Sidat: We need to drive home that they're not supposed to be arresting people in the first place. This is going to end - they're going to return to business as usual. They don't . So we need to get the public behind us to say "OK, you've admitted how little of what you do is about protecting people, let's do things differently."?   Andres: We need to hit the streets with cameras. Cop Watch. Keep them behind the law. Let them know someone is watching. Dave: They need to apply Broken Windows to Wall Street. Everyone who steals a stapler, every banker who gets a bonus for kicking someone out of their home. Send some lawyers to jail, let some rich people feel what it feels like, and you'll see things change pretty fast. The PBA, and individual officers, should be the ones held financially responsible for settlements of lawsuits. Having taxpayers pick up the bill for cops violating people's rights creates no incentive on cops to behave. Nikita: Our communities are missing so many resources. Housing, education - they need to take this money and use it in the neighborhoods they're systematically depleting through gentrification and overpolicing, so that we can uplift ourselves.  follow on Twitter | friend on Facebook | forward to a friend Support the leadership of homeless New Yorkers by making a tax-deductible donation today! Copyright © 2015 Picture the Homeless, All rights reserved. A message to friends, members and allies of Picture the Homeless. Our mailing address is: Picture the Homeless 2427 Morris Avenue 2nd Floor Bronx, NY 10468

DON'T PANIC - IT'S A GOOD THING!

Many tenants got two-page rent summaries and receipts today, and some people were confused about what they meant. I think some people thought they were behind in their rent, when in fact they were just fine. We're all legally entitled to rent receipts, by the way - but I, like many people, rarely if ever request one.

Even if you actually DO owe rent and are behind, the rent statement is potentially a good thing. Sometimes public assistance makes a mistake and doesn't pay (even though you may assume they're up to date), and H.S.I. may not tell you until it's been going on for quite a while, and at that point, you may be getting close to an eviction proceeding. Having the statement in hand gives you information you badly need - and allows you to go down to the Waverly or 16th St. offices to straighten it out before you wind up in Housing Court.

DON'T PANIC. Go down to the rent office on the second floor (not your case manager) and have them go over it with you. It's better to know more about this stuff than remain in the dark. Finally, H.S.I. has taken the initiative to do something right for tenants on their own.

ARE YOU HUNGRY?

IS IT GOOD NEWS OR BAD NEWS?

LOOK WHAT WAS POSTED ON RICHARD FIELDS' OFFICE DOOR!





Jeez.This is just a bit frosty, isn't it? He doesn't even merit the usual good-bye send-off that other departing usually get. Just "he's gone"! Poof! No indication of whether he was laid off, handed in his resignation, nothing, zip, zilch! I know he wasn't the most popular guy on the block, but really! Anyone have any idea what happened? Inquiring minds need to know! Comments are welcome.

Happy New Year....

Best wishes for the coming year - the blog has had 36,144 hits in 2014, and I hope that most of them are from tenants who have found useful information that's helped them improve their situations.