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Reference To 376 Smith Street, Radcliff, KY
By Tonya Harris |
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Documents
For Tenants KNOW YOUR RIGHTS! http://tenant.net/Other_Areas/Kentucky/ltguide.html
http://ag.ky.gov/office/contact.htm Contact the state attorney general to file a consumer complaint against Wallace Goodman or any other landlord. http://www.ky-in.bbb.org/ File a complaint with the Kentucky Better Business Bureau. http://www.hcky.org/ Hardin County Government Homepage http://www.radcliff.org/ Contact the building inspector Don Worthington to file a complaint. What To Do If... Wallace threatens or harasses you, or shuts your utilities off. http://www.wave3.com/ Contact WAVE 3 News about your story!
Other Information Contact Information For Wallace Goodman Contact Information For Tonya Harris
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This web site contains an overview of the events which have taken place since I moved into the property at 376 Smith St. Lot 4, Radcliff KY 40160. I hope it is useful to law enforcement agencies, attorneys, news agencies, tenants, and others who may have an interest in this case. Photo of the mobile home park.
Chronology of Events September 2004. I moved into the mobile home at 376 Smith Street Lot 4 in September 2004. At that time there were several obvious repairs that needed to be made, such as with the wiring (some of which I noticed was exposed), the central air unit, and both the bathroom sinks needed work. He promised me he would get it done as soon as possible. I had not noticed the raw sewage behind the mobile home yet. We made a verbal agreement that I would pay $425 per month for rent, and pay the electric bill separately. October 2004. I contacted Wallace Goodman about the repairs that were still needed on the property. No effort was made during this month to correct any of the problems in the mobile home. However, whit was time to pay the rent, he certainly made it his business to try to run me down--even to the point of asking me if I would give him my bank account number over the phone so he could make the withdrawal himself. Needless to say, I made him wait until I got off work. November 2004. The sinks in both bathrooms were repaired during this month. However, in the small bathroom near the front of the trailer, it was already too late. Since it had been exposed to a leak for the last few months, it started to disintegrate during this time, and one of the doors fell off. It is nearly ready to collapse at the date of this writing. I paid Mr. Goodman for the electric bill for the previous month. No mention was made of a water bill. At this time, I had employed Theresa Miller as a babysitter for my four children. Her husband Travis was employed by Mr. Goodman to do maintenance work on the property. According to Travis and Theresa, he had worked for Mr. Goodman for as much as 60 hours per week, was being paid as little as $100or less for working an entire week.. When he got sick of it and quit, Mr. Goodman retaliated by shutting off the utilities at the trailer they lived in at Lot #7. It was Theresa who pointed out that the rear area of the mobile home park is contaminated with raw sewage. They got a roommate to put the electricity in their name so they could at least have electricity. December 2004. It was during December that I finally became quite frustrated with the situation, and I sent an e-mail to the city building inspector. He came out and talked to Mr. Goodman, but nothing became of it. During this month Theresa Miller was illegally evicted from her trailer when Mr. Goodman shut off the electricity (according to her, by cutting the wires). A few days after she was gone, he had his new maintenance man, Joey, haul off her belongings. No legal eviction notice of any kind was ever given to her. January 2005. It was during January that Mr. Goodman started demanding money for water from some of the tenants, myself included, though he never had before. According to rumors circulating around Radcliff, he had received a DUI, or some other charge, and needed to pay his fine--and that was the reason he suddenly started hounding the tenants. He was angry with me for calling the building inspector on him, and shut my water off in retaliation. I have a recorded phone conversation in which he states his reason for shutting then water off was because he "wanted to get my attention". It was later put back on because I suspect one of my neighbors told him I had been in contact with WAVE 3 News. February 2005. During this month, Mr. Goodman finally made a half-hearted attempt to make repairs to the water and sewer lines on the property. Apparently, the City of Radcliff Wastewater Division had cited him, since I saw their trucks in here. However, he only fixed one sewer line, and one water line--enough to make it look like he had taken action on the problem so the city would get off his back. March 2005. During this month, I finally took legal action on the problem. I sent Mr. Goodman a letter by certified mail informing him that I would withhold rent until the repairs were made. I also had the building inspector do a home maintenance inspection, along with a tenant living in unit number 8. He condemned both mobile homes. Mr. Goodman immediately retaliated by shutting my water off. Note that I cannot have the bill put in my name, since he owns the master meter for the entire trailer park (This is per the receptionist at Hardin County Water District #2.) I have had threats leveled at me by Mr. Goodman, such ads telling me he would sue me for slander if I talked to any of the neighbors about the situation. He also threatened to call CPS on me for not having water in my house. I called CPS myself and informed them of the situation. My car was broken into, and I suspect Mr. Goodman may have been responsible. In addition, another tenant named Thomas who I suspect may be angry that I have involved the authorities in the situation threatened to come over to my house and slap my teeth out. |