“My mama bought that place for me, so I’d always have somewhere to live,” said John Cobb, 64, with a mixture of anger and wry humor. “Now, I’m going to die in the bushes. I hope the raccoons get full.”
One week ago today, the city condemned and closed Heritage House, a high-rise condominium complex with many low-income residents."
If the City of Greensboro gets away with stealing John Cobb's home then no poor person's home anywhere in this city will ever be safe again. One roof or not, John Cobb had a deed to that property as confirmed to me by some of his family members the very day he was forced to leave.
And yet the City of Greensboro wants you to believe they did the right thing.
The right thing would have included jailing the drug dealers.
The right thing would have included prosecuting the Irving Park slum lords who refused to keep up their properties.
The right thing would have included finding homes for renters without forcing them to live in hotel rooms and shelters.
The right thing would have been to take possession of the 15 units owned by the Heritage House Homeowners Association sense it was in-fact the HOA that owed the $60,000 water bill. Could you imagine the City taking your house because your neighbor didn't pay his bills? That's what happened at Heritage House.
The right thing would have been not taking so long to look into the issues there even though they were reported a year or more ago. Instead, Mayor Vaughan and Councilman Barber decided to turn it into a media circus in the hopes of looking like Roy Rogers and Dale Evans riding in to shoot the outlaws and round-up all the strays.
The right thing to do would have been to install separate water meters in each and every unit and bill the homeowners on an installment plan.
The right thing to do would have been to use heat and drying treatments to kill off the bed bugs and mold remediation for the mold. The new owners of the building will have to do that anyway.
The right thing would have been to investigate where the homeowners dues have been going and press charges against Sonny Vestal, Charles Coffey or whoever the guilty may be. The claim that police can't press charges without a complaint is a lie as it is done all the time. The police press charges against drug dealers without a complaint being filed-- why not thieves? Besides, GPD now has a complaint and still claims to have no complaints. As of 9:13 this morning:
"Dear Billy:
Thank you for your recent public information request (PIRT # 3736).You had asked for a copy of the complaint filed with GPD by Jeffrey Merle Faith and others concerning the Heritage House.Unfortunately, the GPD has no records responsive to this request.Please let me know if I can help you in any other way.Sincerely,Sarah HealySarah B. Healy, Public Records AdministratorCommunications Division - 336-373-3282City of GreensboroPO Box 3136, Greensboro, NC 27402-3136www.greensboro-nc.gov"
My Reply:
"Dear Sarah,
I know this isn't your fault. GPD is lying to you as is too often the case. Watch your inbox and in just a bit I will be sending you a copy of Mr Faith's complaint.
Thanks as always for enduring an impossible situation brought about by inept and or corrupt leadership over which you have no control. Hope the hubby and baby and you are well.
-Billy"
The right thing would include admitting their mistakes instead of attempting to discredit Sarah Healy and other hard working city staffers to cover their tracks. Lying bastards. You see, for the last year, a public information requests involving police documents must first go through GPD as Sarah doesn't have free access to police documents.
But the right thing never included and will never include throwing people out of their homes to which those people have deeds. And to put a 64 year old disabled man on the street...
Mayor Nancy Barakat Vaughan and Councilman Mike Barber would resign today if there were an ounce of decency between the two of them.
