Latest news with #Heisler
Yahoo
07-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Ludlow mobile home park residents sue owner in 2 cases of housing discrimination
LUDLOW — When Kerwin Ortiz told his landlord that he would be using state assistance to pay for a month of missed rent, the owner refused to accept it. Now, Ortiz is suing Thomas Lennon, alleging that he discriminated against him for using public assistance toward his rental payment, according to the complaint filed April 1. Ortiz lives at West Street Village Mobile Home Community in Ludlow. While he owns his mobile home, he still pays rent on the lot. Over the last few months, Lennon raised the rents by 143%, jumping from $207 to $503, an increase most at the park can't afford. Many of the residents who live there are older, earn little income and/or are disabled. After dealing with some financial troubles near the end of February, he told Lennon in a text exchange that he'd use Way Finders' rental assistance to pay for rent, which is passed through to the agency from the state. 'I'm not accepting wayfinders (sic),' Lennon texted Ortiz, according to an exhibit in the complaint. 'Is there an assistance program you do accept?' Ortiz replied. 'No, it's a ton of paperwork a huge project for ME and I may or may not get the rent in 10 weeks,' Lennon texted back. The complaint alleges Lennon's actions in refusing to accept any form of state rental assistance from Ortiz were 'intentional and willful' with 'reckless disregard for the civil rights of the plaintiff.' Refusing to accept rental aid is a violation of fair housing laws, the lawsuit alleges. Ortiz is being represented by Joel Feldman, a Springfield housing attorney for Heisler, Feldman and Ordorica PC, and Destin Germany of the Central West Justice Center in Springfield. In a statement, Ortiz said tenants like him in a mobile home park are 'vulnerable to aggressive rent hikes.' While Massachusetts offers rental aid such as from the Residential Assistance for Families in Transition program, 'this option had been refused by our landlord,' he said in the statement. 'Actions like (the landlord's) allows individuals to unilaterally price out people they deem 'undesirables,' which would keep families like ours from ever being parts of communities like this,' he said. Feldman is expecting Lennon's reply in court within the next couple of days, he told The Republican. Other claims against Lennon Ortiz is not alone in his housing discrimination claims. In a lawsuit filed Monday, Lisa Pacheco, another West Street Village resident, alleged that when she told Lennon she could not make a monthly rent payment because of a serious health condition, Lennon again said he would not accept rental assistance from Way Finders. Lennon reportedly told Pacheco that it would be 'too much paperwork,' according to her complaint. When Pacheco told Lennon that she already had been approved for RAFT funding for her utility payments, and that it wouldn't be too much paperwork for Lennon, he allegedly said he was not 'willing to accept RAFT payments for rent, and that he would not go down that route.' At least two other residents were denied use of rental assistance, according to Pacheco's complaint. Both lawsuits say that, as a housing provider, Lennon and landlords like him must 'abide by state fair housing laws in their acceptance of state rental assistance programs.' Lennon's attorney, Robert Kraus of Kraus and Hummel in Plymouth, could not be reached for comment. Fighting back against rent increases Feldman also is representing three West Street Village mobile home park residents who filed an appeal last April on the Ludlow Mobile Home Rent Control Board's decision in July 2023 to increase the rent of the lots by almost $300. Judge Jonathan Kane, a state Housing Court judge, ordered in late March that the board's decision to increase the rent was not allowed. His reasoning was that two of the board members, who were not present for the vote, did not certify under oath that they reviewed the record of the proceedings, which violated a state law. Lennon, as owner, and Kraus, his attorney, are intervenors, meaning they are a third party in that case. Kraus filed a notice of appeal at the end of March, but he has not filed an official appeal in court. The case is ongoing, Feldman explained in a phone call Tuesday. 'We are waiting for the judge to decide whether the decision should be returned to the rental control board to decide on the rent after reviewing the record,' said Feldman. 'It would be premature for them to file an appeal at this point.' more news from Western Massachusetts Read the original article on MassLive.
CBS News
01-05-2025
- Business
- CBS News
Pittsburgh city controller's annual report has stark warning about city's financial future
Pittsburgh City Controller Rachael Heisler released her annual report on Thursday with a stark warning about the city's financial future. Heisler paints a bleak picture of the city's finances in her annual report, saying the city needs to grow or face continued decline. Pittsburgh city controller's annual report explained The 200-page annual report describes a fiscally strapped city lacking the revenue to meet its needs. The report says the city's fleet is breaking down, there aren't enough cops and the overtime to pay them is being rapidly depleted. "I am very concerned about where things are headed," Heisler said. "I think it's important that the city, both leadership and city residents, are mindful of our current financial position." For the past several years, the city has relied on tens of millions of dollars in federal COVID-19 relief funds to make ends meet. But those have now dried up. At the time, real estate values, especially Downtown, have plunged, with tax revenues falling with them. And the city has been unable to reach an agreement with the major non-profit organizations to provide payments in lieu of taxes. With less money to spend, Heisler says the city has budgeted only $6 million for its hobbled vehicle fleet and projects spending less than $3 million in each of the years to come. "Is that sustainable with what everybody contends is a fleet in deplorable condition?" KDKA's Andy Sheehan asked. "Absolutely not," Heisler said. "If you said you need to pick where more money is going to be allocated, it would be the fleet," she added. "Ambulances are breaking down. Fire trucks are breaking down. If you go down to the city garage, there's a waiting list." The administration says it has anticipated the shortage of revenues and has budgeted responsibly without raising taxes. As the year progresses, it says it can shift money around to plug the shortfalls. But Corey O'Connor, Ed Gainey's opponent in the upcoming Democratic primary, reacted by saying the mayor has been hiding the city's fiscal condition and faces a looming deficit. "The latest financial report drives home what I've been saying since day one of this campaign: Mayor Gainey is not being honest and transparent when it comes to the city's budget," O'Connor said. But to really turn this around, Heisler says the city needs to grow. More businesses, more jobs and more of the city's college students deciding to stay and work here. In a statement, the Gainey administration said, "The final, audited 2024 numbers in the report reflect what we expected to see: a budget basis surplus and a strong fund balance. The administration takes the controller's considerations seriously and we will continue to closely monitor the city's revenues and expenditures this fiscal year."
Yahoo
05-03-2025
- Yahoo
‘I saw this car in front of my house': Testimony begins in fatal hit-and-run trial
MANATEE COUNTY, Fla. (WFLA) – Testimony is now underway in the trial of a woman accused in the fatal hit-and-run in Bradenton. Terease Zeppu was initially offered a plea deal that called for no jail time, but the deal was revoked by prosecutors last week. During the first day of testimony, Teresa Zeppi, 60, walked into the courtroom with shackles on her hands and feet. Zeppi is accused of leaving the scene of a deadly crash five years ago, on April 25, 2020. Zeppi was arrested and charged in 2022. Manatee County ends school speed zone camera program 'I saw this car in front of my house': Testimony begins in fatal hit-and-run trial Bradenton school placed on 'Code Red' lockdown due to bomb threat Troopers who investigated the case at the time said they found DNA evidence on Zeppi's vehicle matching the victim. Authorities said 82-year-old Joseph Dralus Sr. was struck by an SUV while walking along 9th Avenue Northwest in Bradenton. Dralus Sr. was transported to the hospital in critical condition but died from his injuries a month later. The community said Dralus was known as the 'peacemaker' because he greeted everyone with a warm smile and a peace sign during his 5-mile walks. However, within an instant tragedy struck when he was hit by the vehicle. His family has been on a mission to find the driver responsible for the crash ever since. Prosecutors said Zeppi was behind the wheel of the vehicle that drove off. Defense attorneys are arguing against that claim. 'The dustbin of history is littered with flawed theories that are the result of groupthink,' said defense attorney Brett McIntosh. 'The state just presented you with a theory, an idea if you will. The state's theory in this care is that Teresa Zeppi ran her car into Mr. Daralus. Knew she had done so and then fled the scene.' Many neighbors say it was a day they will never forget. Heidi Heisler testified in court about a surveillance video that was captured from the camera located outside of her garage. The video showed a woman pull over in an area near the crash, get out of a Lincoln Navigator, and wipe the front bumper before driving off again. 'I thought it seemed a little strange that I saw this car in front of my house and a woman get out and look at her car,' Heisler said. Heisler eventually saw Joseph Dralus Sr. severely injured on the street nearby. 'He was lying on his back, and his legs had a bone sticking out of it,' Heisler said. Dralus' son also testified in court and shared his emotional response after learning about the crash involving his father. He frantically rushed to the scene within 10 minutes. 'I noticed the blood on the driveway,' said Joseph Dralus Jr. 'I don't recall anything after that. It was about finding my dad at that time.' Joseph Dralus Jr. received snapshots of what appeared to be the vehicle in question and posted them on social media with a desperate plea to find the driver. During his search, Dralus Jr. eventually located a Lincoln Navigator outside a home but decided not to approach the owner. However, he posted an updated message on social media about his discovery. 'I found her,' read the message 'There should be a knock on her door shortly.' During opening statements attorneys also spoke about the front-end damage on the vehicle in question. 'Mr. Dralus was stuck by the vehicle,' said Assistant State Attorney Michael Anolfo. 'The exact same spot where you will hear facts and evidence to show that his DNA was found on the exact same spot.' The damage is now a focal point in the case. 'Earlier in the day approximately 12 o'clock or so, Ms. Zeppi had been in a fender bender accident,' said defense attorney Brett McIntosh. 'In that fender bender accident, there was slight damage to the right front of her car.' It will ultimately be up to the jury to decide the outcome of the case. The six-person jury includes four women and three men, including an alternate judge told jurors that he expected the case to be in their hands by Thursday afternoon. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
