NOTE: I publish this complaint here as this is the only venue I use for public documents. And I want it on the record, for my own protection.
As always, I tell my readers, sorry, being that this involves only my personal legal issues, this will be of no interest to you, so you'll probably want to skip it.
But if by chance you are looking for a rental property in the Rhinebeck, NY area, DO NOT rent a property from New Millennium. A slumlord who charges outrageous prices, cares nothing about the rights of his tenants, treats them with extreme disrespect, and violates the zoning laws, building codes, and Health Department regulations, unless he is forced to comply by complaints from tenants like me.
To their credit, the town officials in Rhinebeck have taken my many complaints seriously and have supported me, knowing that my complaints are legitimate, have merit, and that the law is on my side. Same with the police.
Barbara Hartwell
August 27, 2026
Barbara Hartwell
Tenant: XXX
Rhinebeck, NY
(NOT a mailing address)
PO Box 22
Rhinebeck, NY 12572
XXX-XXX-XXXX (Landline, no texting)
New Millennium
To the management:
This complaint is the fifth time (#5) I have contacted your office, by phone or in writing by post, about the workers hired to maintain the property at XXX.
After the last incident perpetrated by these workers (names unknown), on August 20, 2026, I called your office and reported their actions to an associate (name unknown). I notified you that since none of my other complaints resulted in stopping these workers from destroying my property, leaving my front and side gardens alone, and ceasing from disturbing me with their offenses of harassment, aggression and verbal assaults, that I would be calling the police to report the continuing offensive actions by these workers.
I spoke to the police this week by telephone. Following is a summary of what I reported.
FORMAL COMPLAINT TO RHINEBECK POLICE
This is a formal complaint to Rhinebeck Police Department. This concerns repeated incidents of destruction of private property, harassment, menacing, obscene verbal assaults and public slander by hirelings of New Millennium, on the rental property where I have lived since January 1, 2014.
I have made a number of formal complaints to the New Millennium office regarding the workers hired to maintain the property at XXX, including in writing, delivered by post, certified return receipt.
I have informed the office of New Millennium that I have the right to protect my private property, including plants, garden statues and ornaments which I have placed on the rental property for which I pay, for the exclusive use of the cottage and yard.
I have informed them that, aside from the grass in the shared side yard of my neighbors, and in the backyard of the cottage, which needs to be mowed, the rest is OFF LIMITS, including the garden I have made in front of the house, and on the other side of the house, where I have planted flowers and placed garden statues. I have explained that I myself will maintain these areas, and that the landlord's hired workers are not to touch them. I was told by your office that this was understood, and that the workers would be instructed to follow these directives.
These workers have destroyed my private property repeatedly. They have mowed down my plantings of flowers and herbs in my garden and destroyed my garden statues with their weed whackers.
These workers come twice a month in the spring and summer months. They have been told many times to leave my property alone, when I have made complaints to the office, but they have repeatedly disregarded these instructions.
I have been forced to come outside in order to try to stop them from destroying my property. Each time, they have cursed at me with foul language, shouting, “Fuck you!” and refusing to stop their destruction of my garden and property.
In the latest incident, August 20, 2026, they once again disregarded the directives from the office, and from me, to leave my property alone. One worker invaded the front of my rental property with his weed whacker and proceeded to start to mow down the foliage. I was forced to open my door to try to stop him, and was hit in the face with a pebble from the weed whacker.
I told him to STOP, to get away from my house. His answer was, “I'm not listening to you”. He continued with his aggression against my property, and I shouted again for him to get away from my garden, my house, and my car (parked in front of the house), and he cursed at me as he walked away.
Then a few minutes later, a second worker approached my house and aggressively started in with his weed whacker. Again, I ran out to stop him and directed him to STAY AWAY from my garden and my private property. I told him that he had no right to destroy my property and that I had made complaints to the office of the landlord, who assured me they would stop the destruction of my property.
This worker began loudly shouting and cursing at me with verbal assaults, “Fuck you!”, and “What the fuck is wrong with you”, and more such insults, making a public spectacle with his harassment and slander. I was only able to stop him by stepping outside and continuing my protests before he mowed down more of my plants or destroyed my garden ornaments.
These workers are guilty of verbal assaults and harassment. This is outrageous. These workers are thugs and criminals. They have no right to destroy the private property of a tenant.
These criminal thugs have been hired by the landlord, and he is responsible for their continuing offenses against me, a tenant who is only attempting to protect the rental property for which I am paying and live in peace without having to continually deal with these offensive disturbances.
The landlord's office has never disputed my right to protect my private property (plants, statues and garden ornaments), or my right to use the rental property for gardening, and yet, these hired thugs continue to wreak havoc, destroying my property, while harassing and verbally assaulting a disabled senior citizen.
Another important issue: I have medical conditions which are brought on or exacerbated by stress. Being verbally assaulted by these thugs and being forced to defend myself and protect my private property has caused severe stress, which in certain cases led to visits to the emergency room.
When I spoke to the police officer, he confirmed what I knew: That New Millennium is responsible for the actions of their hired workers. And I was advised that if another incident occurs, of destruction of my private property (including the plantings in my garden and/or my statues); and/or the verbal assaults, public slander, harassment and refusal to leave me and my property alone, to cease and desist, that I should immediately call the police, who will stop them and enforce the law, protecting my rights as a tenant, and against both civil and criminal offenses against me.
These individuals should be warned by your office never to invade the clearly delineated, prohibited spaces of my rental property again, and never to approach me again, or bang on my door, not to attempt to speak to me, for any reason, especially not with curses, insults, verbal assaults and harassment. It will not be tolerated. I will have no dealings with such persons, and will hold your office accountable for any damages, as they are your hirelings.
To be clear: They are allowed ONLY to mow the lawn (the grass) at the shared side yard between my house and the neighbor's house, and in the backyard of my house. THAT IS ALL.
Anything else is OFF LIMITS. I need them to STAY AWAY from the front of my house (where my car is parked and behind it, my garden) and the other side of the house where there is a bricked in, fenced area of plants.
To harass me, publicly slander me, and to destroy my property and disturb my peace, preventing my right to quiet enjoyment of my rental property, will NOT be tolerated.
Be advised that I will take any and all necessary actions under the law to prevent future incidents of this nature from occurring.
Barbara Hartwell
Tenant
XXX
