I publish this report for the public record to expose the grievous injustices perpetrated against me by a greedy slumlord on whose property I have had a rental since January, 2014.
For now, I have not divulged the name of the landlord or his management company, since I am still living on the property, in order to protect my privacy.
That will change in future, once I am gone from this place, as a warning to others as to what to expect if they make the mistake of taking any rental owned by this landlord.
As
far as I know, he owns properties in several New York counties
(including “million dollar properties” of which he regularly
boasts to his poor tenants) and runs a development corporation
involving construction and real estate.
In my time here I have heard the stories of other tenants, the poor, the disabled, the elderly, most gone now as they could not tolerate the substandard conditions, the unwarranted high rents, and the ill treatment of the landlord.
My story is no different, except for the fact that I took action to try to have the problems rectified, whereas others did not. For that, I have been a target of retaliation by this unscrupulous slumlord.
The circumstances on this property have only grown worse, so that I am living in a hostile environment due to tenants who are criminals and liars, making false complaints against me; due to the fact that a number of substandard conditions have not been rectified (aside from what he was forced to do by citations from the Health Department, and only because I made complaints); and due to the fact that the rent has been raised so high that it far exceeds the disability benefits on which the government expects me to live. In order to afford it I may now have to go without phone/Internet service, all other necessities (even including food, except that which I can get from a food pantry run by a local church), just in order to avoid being thrown into the street to be homeless, which I and my cat, Angel, will not survive.
I must now look for another rental, but until then I have no choice but to try to find a way to pay the rental increase in order to not be homeless.
Here is my latest communication to the management company, a formal protest against yet another rental increase and my complaint against the abusive and disrespectful treatment by the landlord and his office staff.
For more details see previous reports given below.
Barbara Hartwell
March 24, 2024
LETTER TO SLUMLORD
Barbara Hartwell
PO Box 22
Rhinebeck, NY 12572
Tenant
XXX
Rhinebeck, NY 12572
Since January 1, 2014
Management at: XXX
To the management:
A letter on rental increase was sent from your office, which was dated February 1, 2024. The letter was postmarked February 15, 2024 and received a few days later. Yet the letter stated that it was “Sent January 1, 2024”. Obviously that is a false statement.
Postal mail is the only way to send documents to me, as I have notified your office from the beginning. I do not use e-mail and never have done.
From an attorney who has been advising me, for notification of a rental increase above 5%, the landlord is required to give a full 3 months notice for a tenant of 2 years or more. The notice of increase should have arrived at my PO Box by January 1, latest. It was more than 6 weeks late.
The amount of the increase, from $XXXX.00 to $XXXX.00 is roughly 20%, which is excessive, considering the unacceptable conditions under which I have been forced to live, for years (all documented), for which I have never received compensation. As well as the fact that the property is still in unacceptable condition. Inclusive of (but not limited to) that the backyard is still full of debris and dead branches, as it was never cleaned up after trees were taken down.
For the remaining time I am a tenant here, I will have a hired worker whom I employ myself to clean up the mess, in order to have use of the backyard, for which I am paying an extravagant rent.
However, despite my reasonable protest against such unacceptable conditions, given my circumstances, I see no other choice but to pay the rental increase and remain a tenant here until such time as I am able to find a suitable rental I can afford. I cannot predict when that will happen.
In any case, I have done nothing whatsoever in all my time here which could possibly lawfully justify an eviction, which in fact was threatened by your management.
And here, as I find necessary in my own defense, documented for the record, are the offenses I have undeservedly suffered by ill treatment by the landlord, office staff and workers.
It is clear that the management has developed a bias against me, based not on any wrongful actions of mine (which have been nonexistent), but rather on false complaints from some of your tenants; as well as the fact that I called the proper authorities when your office failed to make necessary repairs and rectify conditions which were actually deemed a “heath hazard” by the Health Department. As the Health Department informed me, I did the right thing by making these complaints, and in no way should I be discriminated against for doing so.
On October 11, 2023, I was subjected to an extremely distressing ordeal when the landlord showed up at my door, without any notice whatsoever, at 8:30 AM, making aggressive demands that I open the door, that I speak to him, that I allow his workers immediate access to begin the renovation of the plumbing and bathroom.
In fact, I was sleeping when they showed up. I am a disabled senior citizen with chronic medical issues, exacerbated by any form of stress. I work at home and I do not keep regular hours.
The point is, I had made it very clear that I require a minimum of 24 hours notice for any service visits, and that I could not be expected to allow access with no notice. As I have stated, my time is no less valuable than that of anyone else and it is my right to protect my own interests, as well as my privacy.
I made it clear (speaking through the door) that they would have no access at that time, that I was not available, and that they would have to make an appointment at a mutually convenient time.
Yet, in a show of total disrespect of my rights, the landlord stood outside my house, repeatedly banging on the door, making demands he had absolutely no right to make.
In addition, he caused a loud public scene, by shouting at me through the door, even going so far as making threats of eviction.
This is harassment, which will not be tolerated. There was no excuse for this aggressive behavior against a law-abiding tenant who had never done anything wrongful. I informed my attorney of this outrageous incident, for the record.
The landlord publicly insulted me, slandered me, falsely accused me, and even impugned my sanity by a remark about “mental health issues”. There are no such issues, never have been. A refusal to open a door to an aggressive individual who has not given any notice is NOT indicative of “mental health” issues. It only reflects on the totally unacceptable behavior of the aggressor.
But to my consternation and outrage, the whole neighborhood heard the harassment and the slander of my good name. And I have witnesses.
He stood outside my door, shouting false accusations. He accused me of “harassing” his tenants. For the record, I have never, at any time, harassed anyone on this property.
I do not know the names of these tenants who made the false complaints, except one, a criminal offender named Tracy Krawitt, who actually made a false police report against me (a criminal offense) in 2019, lying to the police that I had “threatened to kill” her. This is all on the public record and has been published on a number of websites, including my own.
In any case, these false complaints from tenants (whose names were not given) had absolutely nothing to do with the issue of the landlord showing up unannounced and making demands. These are two separate and unrelated issues. This is harassment and menacing and will not be tolerated.
As stated, I will pay the increase, under protest, until such time as I find a suitable rental property where I do not have to suffer unacceptable conditions, an unwarranted bias against me, and a hostile environment.
In future, I will be sending a check to your office by certified return receipt. I will not be having the check picked up at my home by the landlord's office.
And unless there is some emergency requiring immediate attention by your office, I will take care of any smaller problems at my own expense.
Lastly, if your office chooses to make any further false complaints against me, based on false complaints by the liars and/or criminals who are your tenants, they need to be made officially, documented in writing, and I will respond in writing, or they will be ignored.
I will not allow myself to be interrogated, or harassed, or have my privacy invaded.
I have every right to protect my privacy and security on this property and to be left alone. I have always been law-abiding and have never once done anything wrongful against anyone on this property. I have always paid the rent on time, no exceptions.
Yet, I have been denied the quiet enjoyment of this rental for years now, due to your negligence and the failure of your office to control your errant tenants, and due to the hostile environment you have allowed to persist.
Be advised that I will give notice when I plan to vacate the rental.
Stating the facts for the record.
Barbara Hartwell
Check for April rent at increased rate of $XXXX.00 included, under protest.
Copies sent to appropriate authorities, and published for the record.
SIGNED & NOTARIZED
RELATED REPORTS
INVASIONS OF PRIVACY, HARASSMENT & THREATS AGAINST TENANT BARBARA HARTWELL ON RHINEBECK PROPERTY OWNED BY SLUMLORD
https://barbarahartwellvscia.blogspot.com/2023/10/invasions-of-privacy-harassment-threats.html
PUBLIC NOTICE & UPDATES- Latest Offenses of Tracy Krawitt, the Neighbor from Hell: Endangering Animals, Pedestrians & Drivers, Violating Leash Laws
https://barbarahartwellvscia.blogspot.com/2023/11/latest-offenses-of-tracy-krawitt.html
CONTINUED HARASSMENT, SLANDER, FALSE COMPLAINTS & INVASIONS OF PRIVACY ON RHINEBECK PROPERTY BY UNSCRUPULOUS TENANT TRACY KRAWITT
https://barbarahartwellvscia.blogspot.com/2023/08/additional-harassment-slander-false.html
FORMAL COMPLAINT AGAINST TENANT TRACY KRAWITT TO LANDLORD OF RHINEBECK PROPERTY
https://barbarahartwellvscia.blogspot.com/2023/02/formal-complaint-against-tenant-tracy.html
MULTIPLE OFFENDER, HABITUAL LIAR TRACY KRAWITT MAKES ADDITIONAL FALSE ACCUSATIONS, SLANDERS BARBARA HARTWELL IN REPORT TO LANDLORD ON RENTAL PROPERTY
https://barbarahartwellvscia.blogspot.com/2023/02/multiple-offender-habitual-liar-tracy.html
HELLISH HOWLING & HARASSMENT: Brought to My Neighborhood by Scofflaw, Liar Tracy Krawitt & Associates
http://barbarahartwellvscia.blogspot.com/2023/02/hellish-howling-harassment-brought-to.html
Tracy Krawitt, Irresponsible Owner of Howling Dog, Causes Constant Noise Disturbance on Rhinebeck Property
http://barbarahartwellvscia.blogspot.com/2022/04/tracy-krawitt-irresponsible-owner-of.html
Tracy Krawitt (aka SPACEY TRACY), the Neighbor from Hell: FORMAL COMPLAINT TO POLICE & COMMENTARY
https://barbarahartwellvscia.blogspot.com/2020/01/tracy-krawitt-aka-spacey-tracy-neighbor.html