We Moved to Valley View in the Year Two Thousand One (2001)
My youngest son, --- my other kids were already adults living on their own --- Becky, Jason, and I all moved in at Valley View in 2001. My son was ten years old.
This timeline is about what happened before the legal trouble started in August of 2010. Another page lists more about what has been going on since.
This timeline is about what happened before the legal trouble started in August of 2010. Another page lists more about what has been going on since.
. . . And Began Again . . .
In September of 2008, my building received a note addressed to "Residents of [one building at Valley View]". There were actually eight buildings, so that was odd. This note should have been either to all buildings, or else to one particular apartment, not just all apartments in one building.
This note or letter went on to explain that residents were no longer allowed to smoke inside their apartment or on the balcony. Further --- the note explained --- if anyone smoked inside their apartment, or on the balcony, Valley View / FRED would call the police and the police would come to the smoker's apartment and write a ticket.
Well, of course, that's not true. It's a lie. I checked with the folks in the municipal offices.
I realized then that this letter was specifically directed toward a tenant who has a psych disability, and who smokes a lot. I wrote some direct, straightforward comments on the letter and placed it back into the management office's drop box.
The next day, as I waited for the bus, a management person came up to me and introduced herself. I recognized the name from the letter of the previous day. I told her to leave me alone. She said I was on "private property", so I went to the bus shelter on the public sidewalk. I asked her many times to get away from me. I was very upset and crying. She was really scary.
I finally threatened to call the cops. She still didn't leave me alone, and said go ahead and call them. She said be sure to tell them she's the manager. (Why? Because a manager has the right to assault a tenant.) I said, "You're not the manager of the sidewalk."
She said, "Yes, I am." (?! Not sure what she meant by that, since she had already specified that the planter was private property. Surely she knew the bus shelter was public property?)
Click here if you want to read more about what happened that day.
When I reported FRED to some state agencies for this discrimination against a disabled person, FRED's written answer said, "We would never refer to any of our tenants as psych disabled."
Um ---- HUH ??? I don't understand. These landlords are denying this man has or had a disability? It's pretty easy to verify. And, therefore --- ? They weren't discriminating? That's a great resolution for anyone anywhere. "I would never refer to my customer as blind." (?!) The state agencies never had anything else to say after that. I'm not sure why. |