Northwest Indiana Discussion

Now what might add some fodder to this case, is if the attorney's representing the plaintiff's learn how Tom may very well have misused code enforcement for his own political betterment.

The "warm extension cord" found in a north hammond bar which resulted it being closed for months.

The games played with Jennifer, involving the property on 176th & calumet across from a business operated by a friend of Tom's.

The use of code to inspect a mayoral candidate and the use of the public works commission to further harass them.

Then the if I do your roof for $5,000, I'll keep code off your back.

There are a few others out there that could build the legal argument, code enforcement was much to busy following the political needs of it's mayor instead of doing their job.

hell, it is the way I see it.


429

By third party, we have been told by nipsco why gas and electric were shut off. We haven't yet heard why the water was shut off. I assume the water service was in the property owner's name. Non-payment? Did the owner of the water service request it's disconnection? Do we know that eviction proceeding had not been initiated?

What about those big houses by the 7-11 on Hohman and Highland, that are now multiple apartments? They were single family homes just a few years ago. The one across from the Presbyterian Church has a "For Rent" sign in front. MOST of the multi-units in Hammond used to be single family houses, with the exception of the genuine apartment complexes, and some 2 flats.

That is a good question. Were there 2 buffalo boxes at this property? If not, if the water service was shut off by the Water Department, that means the tenants upstairs had no water either. One article stated that there was a burst pipe at the 1st floor apartment where the fire originated. It is possible that the water had been shut off in the basement, for the first floor apartment only.

as to immunity afforded government employee's... they have to act with in their scope, failing to act... well that is a question for the courts. $5,000,000 is an interesting number.

IC 34-13-3-4
Limitation on aggregate liability; punitive damages prohibited
Sec. 4. (a) The combined aggregate liability of all governmental

entities and of all public employees, acting within the scope of their employment and not excluded from liability under section 3 of this chapter, does not exceed:
(1) for injury to or death of one (1) person in any one (1) occurrence:
(A) three hundred thousand dollars ($300,000) for a cause of action that accrues before January 1, 2006;
(B) five hundred thousand dollars ($500,000) for a cause of action that accrues on or after January 1, 2006, and before January 1, 2008; or
(C) seven hundred thousand dollars ($700,000) for a cause of action that accrues on or after January 1, 2008; and
(2) for injury to or death of all persons in that occurrence, five million dollars ($5,000,000).
(b) A governmental entity or an employee of a governmental entity acting within the scope of employment is not liable for punitive damages.

463
As added by P.L.1-1998, SEC.8. Amended by P.L.108-2003, SEC.2; P.L.161-2003, SEC.6; P.L.97-2004, SEC.114.

Once again you make no mention of the landlord or his delay tactics. Afraid they are going to take away your landlord card if you criticize one of the Team?

Articles say that the landlord delayed the hearings multiple times and transferred the property from one of his holding companies to another. His lawyer then claimed in October that he needed time to investigate because they were not notified of hearings. He claimed the deed had not been recorded. Hmmm ..how hard is it to understand that when you own both holding companies?

Not to mention that how can a landlord not know that his property did not have utilities for almost a year? Especially as someone has pointed out that the water had to be in his name.

I see no way the city can be sued successfully seeing that they were pursuing declaring the property uninhabitable thru the courts, with delays coming from the slumlord and his many holding companies.

There are plenty voices speaking to the action and inaction of the property owner. Matt and others speak freely and fully about it so I won't add to it. The mayor of Hammond draws a salary and other benefits from the Hammond Water Dept, presumedly in some kind of executive capacity. He is also the highest executive of the civil city to which the inspections department reports. At the moment, on the day in October 2013, when the water deptartment shut off water service to the unit, the unit became uninhabitable, independent of any inspection of the unit, or knowledge of whether or not gas and electric was connected. A sub-unit of city government turned off water service and by doing so knew an uninhabitable situation was created in regard to the rental unit. Granted, an unihabitable situation may have pre-existed the water shut-off, but as of October 2013 the city knew or should have known the status of the property, even without inspection. Does anyone know if the tenants were there legally? Is it possible that the water was shut off because they left voluntarily? You can connect some dots with online searches, but you can't paint the picture.

Apparently Matt, your typical self, you have ignored a thread started by me, which has over 61,000 views with 729 post. Post of problematic properties no matter who owns them. So Matt, substandard property is sub standard property, but in Hammond an appropriate home is more so substandard if you politically oppose any of McDermott's policies & a substandard home is ignored if you contribute to Tom's campaign fund. It's very simple!
http://www.northwestindiana.com/discussionforum/viewtopic.php?f=15&t=10556

It very easy to paint a picture of a slum lord, and the whole story on this has not been told.

I believe your intelligent enough, please don't disprove my ASSumption, but parties are spinning this story for their own personal benefit, beginning with the obvious mismanagement by McDermott's people, Kantar, and those involved in Code.
Jr is setting up for a run for re election.... this could be the nail in his friggin coffin. Poof!

Maybe they were too busy with their hand out as alleged in the litigation.
http://www.northwestindiana.com/discussionforum/viewtopic.php?f=15&t=11488&sid=6f41e194443862c4c739848ad780f676

And just for your information, anyone's name could be on the water bill, pending the terms of the lease. Your mother in law living in Topeka could be the payee...

As to Hammond's exposure.... well pal, a court found cause to enjoin the city of Chicago in a case which involved a porch collapse. The city didn't build the porch, the city just inspected the porch and people died..... actually they failed to appropriate inspect this property.

Now Matt, let me tell you a story about someone who stopped by the camp fire under the hohman ave bridge. They stopped in very late last night and share the following with me. They brought beer for themselves and ice tea for me.....

in the conversation and they were very upset with regard to the loss of life, they didn't understand how children could be, would be left in a property with out services in any condition. HAMMOND CODE ENFORCEMENT HAD 5 SHOTS AT THIS AND FAILED TO DO THEIR JOB. Court order or no court order.

This person had almost 20 years of Child Services under their belt, dealing with a couple of thousand child abuse and neglect cases in their career..... not once in their career did they allow children to live, stay in a building with out utilities, that was not safe.... families readily moved with out court involvement, with out housing court or a city attorney racking up hours padding their salary so they could live on knickerbocker parkway.

An intelligent person gives people choices and in the case of such squalor, it was simple, either you move into a safe environment or your children will be in state custody.... if you are found back at the property, police are informed to take custody.

The issue here IS NO ONE IN HAMMOND, CODE ENFORCEMENT OR CITY SERVICES HAS HAD THE INTELLIGENCE TO TALK TO PEOPLE AND GIVE THEM VIALBE, UNDERSTANDABLE OPTIONS WITH SIMPLE UNDERSTANDABLE CONSEQUENCES.



now how simple was that? the problem is the employment inbreeding that occurs in Hammond..... with out the infusion of outside possibly more talented individuals to run city departments. the inbreeding is there for a reason...

unfortunately, in this case, it contributed to the cause of 3 deaths.

546

So you think they should have evicted the house without a court order? You would be the first person crying civil rights violation of due process.

That is why we have courts, only in this case we had a total slime bag that has used technicalities in the court system to his advantage. Transferring properties among various holding companies to delay hearings.

Families move out without court involvement or they choose to stay. The family absolutely bears some responsibility. Newspapers have reported that they stayed with relatives on the bitter cold days but came back to this home. Why did they not seek help? There are definitely some people that are ineligible for aid or social services because of other issues. They are prime bait for slumlord situations and most likely do not quality for section 8 or low income housing.

I read an article today that the surviving kids are in foster care because the mother was charged with child endangerment in 2011 for leaving the kids alone. The grandmother is now seeking custody but it has to be determined by the courts.

These are the type of situations that are being drawn to the South Suburbs and NW Indiana because of the housing stock and slumlord situations.

Contact with Child Protective Services is usually initiated by neighbors or schools. Do we know that any of the kids were attending any sort of schooling in Hammond? It is also a state function.

Just because code enforcement knew the house was occupied, does not mean they have had any meaningful contact with the actual family there.

In your Chicago porch lawsuit, the city had inspected the property and failed to issue citations. In this case, citations were issued and were awaiting a court hearing. A hearing that had been delayed for many months by the slumlord in question.

When I ran for office in 2007, one of my core platform issues was the state of Hammond's housing and landlord issues. One of the few times I have agreed with the Mayor and it was an issue I butted heads with George Janiec on multiple times. The same with Duane Dedelow. I stood my ground because I thought it was an important issue and one of the major issues holding Hammond back.

Code enforcement has demolished a large number of homes, and there could definitely be many more. Sparks and Kelly Kearney have shown the number of citations in the past, but every time one comes up it is YOU that cries that it's oppression.

A few years ago you peddled the youtube video of that old landlord crying the city was singling him out for a cut up with 6' ceilings in the basement and electrical cords strung between drywall. You posted it over and over and over ...... but it appears that is now gone. Are you afraid it was going to further taint your anti-Mcdermott position in favor of another scumbag slumlord?

Please tell me what story hasn't been told about this slumlord? I have done the research and shown him to operate under at least 7 different business entities at 3 different addresses? The Treasurers office shows 8 pages of properties tied to his Crown Point home, 8 more tied to his PO box in Schererville and 4 pages tied to his ownership in Caribou Properties in Gary and Griffith. That's the ones I have found.. He has close to 100 properties in Lake County, some in Porter county, and some in Cook County, IL

That's not ASSumptions .....that's plain fact! Feel free to spin it any way you like it.

See, I am not beholden to any group whether it be Janiec's Team Slumlord or McDermott. I think McDermott has failed in many aspects, but at the same time I have seen that Janiec had absolutely no concept of an actual platform. Like you, he is willing to lie and deceive to try and manipulate the vote.

If CE knew the home was occupied isn't it their responsibility to have "meaningful contact" with the family? If a home is known to be uninhabitable due to no water or Nipsco service who has the responsibility to make that contact? Anyone? No one?

The older surviving child, and the one that was not at home, both reportedly attend Irving Elementary. Where the address is of this house, is Lafayette's district.

Child Protective Services should have been called by the city. This tragedy might have been prevented.