That makes me think of how important the ADA Act is and the vicious attacks
on it from the Bushies.
Jonathon keep us posted.
At 08:05 PM 12/12/2005, you wrote:
>Another option would be to contact a disability advocacy group - I =20
>mean an all-volunteer group comprised of disabled people who've had =20
>experience in dealing with situations such as yours. I don't think =20=
>
>You're the only disabled person in NYC to face eviction, and at =20
>least, you might find creative ways to fight the eviction.
>
>Kat
>
>
>
>
>On 12 Dec 2005, at 22:45, Jonathan Rand wrote:
>
> > pleez excuse
> >
> > symptoms of drowsiness - keeping me from communicating
> > properly.
> > --------------------------------
> >
> > I covered the cleft lip myself. even a plastic surgeon didn=92t =20
> > notice it.
> > (????????)
> >
> > I no longer hav faith in these agencies. if things really start2 =20
> > close in
> > on me, the landlord needs 2 b embarrassed in the media. I don=92t c =20=
>
> > 2 many
> > other options besides that.
> >
> > the average person is sure that this kind of thing never happens. =20
> > most
> > people think that agencies like CIDNY or UCP help people in my =20
> > situation.
> > but they don=92t.
> >
> > I=92ll try yor suggestions tho.
> >
> > thanks! :)
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >> From: Magenta Raine <[log in to unmask]>
> >> Reply-To: [log in to unmask]
> >> To: [log in to unmask]
> >> Subject: Re: =93But there are places for disabled people!=94
> >> Date: Sat, 10 Dec 2005 18:05:34 -0800
> >>
> >> You face a horrible situation, Jon! Is there a CIL (center for =20
> >> Independent
> >> Living) in your area? My mind is boggled by the horror of your =20
> >> situation.
> >> But maybe PAI could help you? That is an agency called Protection and
> >> Advocacy and they are in every state, (names may be different) =20
> >> Call your
> >> senator Clinton? Check with your State's Developmental =20
> >> Disabilities board
> >> to see if you might get more help physically. from a Supported Living
> >> agency. perhaps a dental school at a university would fix the cleft
> >> palette?
> >>
> >> Mag
> >>
> >> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> >> [log in to unmask]
> >>
> >> "What is real but compassion, as we move from birth to death?"
> >> ~~Greg Brown~~
> >>
> >>
> >> > [Original Message]
> >> > From: Jonathan Rand <[log in to unmask]>
> >> > To: <[log in to unmask]>
> >> > Date: 12/10/2005 9:54:16 AM
> >> > Subject: =93But there are places for disabled people!=94
> >> >
> >> > Many of you will not be able to help me in any way with this, but I
> >> think
> >> > you need to know what=92s happening nevertheless. I suspect this =20=
>
> >> happens
> >> to
> >> > many of the physically disabled poor. Their lives get torn =20
> >> apart, and
> >> > nobody knows about it. Some rich landlord gets a little richer, =20=
>
> >> while a
> >> > poor person, (even someone with severe disabilities), loses =20
> >> their home,
> >> > their possessions, and even their connections with other people!
> >> >
> >> > After being taken in by a friend who was mentally ill, (after =20
> >> losing my
> >> own
> >> > apartment), and after that person became sicker, and had to =20
> >> leave here,
> >> the
> >> > landlord is evicting me. There are no affordable apartments =20
> >> available
> >> in
> >> > Manhattan, and if you=92re talking about wheelchair accessible =20
> >> apartments,
> >> > FORGET IT! (I use a wheelchair.) (I won=92t survive in an =
>outlying
> >> borough,
> >> > in a dangerous neighborhood, isolated from people in Manhattan =20
> >> that help
> >> me!
> >> > I=92ve already been physically attacked by =93young males=94 from =
>the
> >> projects,
> >> > so I steer clear of those kinds of places. I=92m not sure what =20
> >> was thrown
> >> at
> >> > me at one point. I think it was a bottle.)
> >> >
> >> > The landlord is apparently thinking about the =93bottom line!=94 =
>He =20
> >> let the
> >> > back rent build up
> > Legal Aid told me they =93couldn=92t do anything until
> >> it
> >> > came right down to the wire!=94 And the landlord needed to serve =20=
>
> >> me with
> >> > eviction papers before they would act. A lot of time went by. =20
> >> I was
> >> > served, (a few times), with papers having to do with THE CAR=92S =20=
>
> >> PARKING
> >> > SPACE, downstairs in the parking lot, but no one came to my door =20=
>
> >> with
> >> > anything having to do with the apartment. An eternity went by, but
> >> nobody
> >> > lifted a finger to head something like this off! I knew I was =20
> >> headed
> >> for
> >> a
> >> > very bad situation but there was little I could do! I=92m severely
> >> disabled.
> >> > A nonverbal spastic, athetoid quad, (like CEREBRAL PALSY), with low
> >> vision.
> >> > I can=92t use a phone or read text. Email is my only line to =93the =
>=20
> >> outside
> >> > world,=94 and until recently, I couldn=92t even leave this =20
> >> neighborhood!
> >> The
> >> > electric scooter I got from Medicaid, DIDN=92T FIT ON THE BUS! =20
> >> And when I
> >> > complained about this, (at United Cerebral Palsy, down on East 23rd
> >> Street,
> >> > here in New York, I was told, =93that was the only scooter that =20
> >> could be
> >> > approved. That=92s the law! And if I didn=92t like it, I should =
>go to
> >> > Washington and LOBBY!=94 (I guess they expected me to crawl there
> > ..!)
> >> >
> >> > Anyway, the landlord refused my friend=92s rent check, saying he =20=
>
> >> violated
> >> the
> >> > lease. When he got sicker, he went to his girlfriend=92s, so she =20=
>
> >> could
> >> take
> >> > care of him, leaving me here alone. The landlord said: =93he =
>wasn=92t
> >> living
> >> > here, and he had an illegal sublet.=94 My friend didn=92t tell the =
>=20
> >> landlord
> >> > that I was here, BECAUSE HE SUFFERED FROM A DISABLING ANXIETY =20
> >> DISORDER.
> >> He
> >> > was AFRAID to! The lease was never violated maliciously!
> >> >
> >> > Someone in the neighborhood helped me get a Section-8 rent =20
> >> voucher. So
> >> soon
> >> > after my friend left, I had the ability to pay the rent here! =20
> >> (This is
> >> a
> >> > RENT STABILIZED apartment, and the rent is only $100 more than my
> >> voucher!)
> >> > Current rents everywhere else, are much much higher, so staying =20
> >> here
> >> seemed
> >> > like the best option. If I=92m forced to leave, my life will be =20=
>
> >> literally
> >> > torn apart! I=92ve learnt, over the years, to take care of myself =20=
>
> >> IN THIS
> >> > APARTMENT! The placement of the sink, in relation to the =20
> >> bathtub, is
> >> > important because of the routines I established so I could wash and
> >> brush
> >> my
> >> > teeth in the morning! if I get on the floor, and lean over the =20
> >> bathtub,
> >> I
> >> > can do things like wash my face, or eat on my own! I rigged a =20
> >> hose,
> >> going
> >> > from the bathroom sink faucet, to the bathtub, so I could fill a =20=
>
> >> cup, or
> >> wet
> >> > a cloth. It used to take me five hours to wash & dress =20
> >> everyday! Now I
> >> can
> >> > do it in under two hours! Take me away from this apartment, and =20=
>
> >> I=92m
> >> > =93helpless=94 again! I took YEARS to figure out how to do this =20=
>
> >> stuff here,
> >> and
> >> > I dread having to start all over! It took me for ever to find =20
> >> the right
> >> > hose, that would fit in the bathroom sink faucet!
> >> >
> >> > And also, like most men, I guess, I=92m fighting the aging =20
> >> process! :)
> >> My
> >> > hair is turning grey! I darken my mustache! You might think =20
> >> that this
> >> > routine would be something I could let go of easily! But I have an
> >> extra
> >> > problem! I was born with a facial deformity. A cleft palate & =20
> >> lip. I
> >> went
> >> > through hell because of this, when I was younger, until I =20
> >> figured out
> >> how
> >> to
> >> > cover it up, with a big =93walrus=94 moustache! The moustache, a =20=
>
> >> pair of
> >> =93John
> >> > Lennon wire rim glasses, & a Beatle haircut, distracted people =20
> >> away from
> >> the
> >> > deformity, and my life changed INSTANTLY! Now that I=92m older, =
>the
> >> moustache
> >> > is turning grey! It=92s losing its shape, and no longer doing its =20=
>
> >> job,
> >> > (unless I use that =93stuff!=94) (=93GREYaway, Only for =91REAL=92 =
>=20
> >> MEN!) :) I
> >> made
> >> > a kind of =93vanity table=94 that fits in the BATHTUB. Getting =
>down =20
> >> on the
> >> > floor, and leaning over the tub, enbles me to color my =20
> >> mustache! Hands
> >> > free! There=92s a light, & an adjustable =93jig=94 that holds a =20=
>
> >> MIRROR and a
> >> > BRUSH. I have everything worked out! =46rom mixing the
> >> > hair-dye GOO, to applying it, (by moving my head over the mounted
> >> brush),
> >> > to rincing it off! I use an electric screwdriver to unscrew the =20=
>
> >> caps on
> >> the
> >> > little tubes! Everything=92s worked out. And the routine is very
> >> intricate!
> >> > Change ANYTHING, and everything falls apart!
> >> >
> >> > I=92m horrified at the prospect of not being able to take care of =20=
>
> >> myself!
> >> And
> >> > the thought of uncovering that deformity after all these years =20
> >> totally
> >> > floors me! I=92m actually surprised that even THIS landlord, =20
> >> (notorious
> >> for
> >> > being cruel & mean), is doing this to me!
> >> >
> >> > People in the system, (social workers etc.), don=92t really know =20=
>
> >> what to
> >> do
> >> in
> >> > cases like this. And they=92re constrained by rules & =20
> >> regulations, (and
> >> lack
> >> > of money), so anyone in my position could easily =93fall through =
>the
> >> cracks
> >> =93
> >> > and get crushed!
> >> >
> >> > Legal Aid accepted my case about a year ago, and when eviction =20
> >> papers
> >> were
> >> > served, I won that round in court on a technicality. (My name =20
> >> wasn=92t on
> >> the
> >> > papers.)
> >> >
> >> > After that, time passed. And little or nothing was done to try =20
> >> and head
> >> off
> >> > the coming storm! Rent bills started arriving. I asked my social
> >> worker
> >> > about these
> > Could it be that the management office wasn=92t aware of
> >> what
> >> > was happening? There was no response.
> >> >
> >> > When the lease was up, I got a rent bill saying, =93your lease has
> >> expired.
> >> > Call the office immediately.=94 My social worker asked my Legal =
>Aid
> >> lawyer
> >> > what we should do about this, and was told that I shouldn=92t =20
> >> worry about
> >> it.
> >> > And that we needed to wait for actual eviction papers to =20
> >> arrive. I=92d
> >> get
> >> > served, we=92d go to court, and everything would take a really =20
> >> long time!
> >> >
> >> > Although I had the Section-8 voucher, back rent was building =20
> >> up. And
> >> > section-8 won=92t pay that! I asked about this, and was told that =20=
>
> >> if the
> >> > landlord accepted my voucher and allowed me to stay, the CITY =20
> >> would pay
> >> the
> >> > back rent! But until papers were served, nobody would do =20
> >> anything to
> >> head
> >> > things off!
> >> >
> >> > I was worried about being put out in the street! I was told, =20
> >> there=92s a
> >> law
> >> > that protects me, (because I=92m severely disabled), and I =20
> >> COULDN=92T be put
> >> out
> >> > until a suitable apartment was found for me. But recently, another
> >> social
> >> > worker told me that the city WOULDN=92T pay the back rent! My =20
> >> name wasn=92t
> >> on
> >> > the lease, and now, there was no lease at all! And on top of =20
> >> all of
> >> this,
> >> > even if I won in court, and could stay here, the landlord is not
> >> obligated
> >> > to accept my voucher! He can refuse! No questions asked! And =20
> >> that=92s
> >> just
> >> > what he did.
> >> >
> >> > And now I=92m being told, (by a lawyer, gotten for me by a new =20
> >> friend),
> >> that
> >> > there IS NO PROTECTION for me! And if the marshals came to =20
> >> force me
> >> out,
> >> > I=92d end up in an institution, (like so many other disabled, =20
> >> being held
> >> > against their will), unless I could prove I had someplace to go!!!!
> >> >
> >> > During all this time, while the system sat idle, I tried to make
> >> something
> >> > happen on my own. if nothing else, I needed to be able TO =20
> >> TRAVEL, so I
> >> > could try and make contact with others =93like me!=94 I was =
>incredibly
> >> lonely.
> >> > Cut off by family, with no normal friendships, I dreamt of just =20
> >> being
> >> able
> >> > to go over someone=92s house to watch a video! But someone as =20
> >> severely
> >> > disabled as me, could never really bond and become a part of the =20=
>
> >> lives
> >> of
> >> > the people around me at the time. Able-bodied, blind, or =93mildly=94=
>
> >> disabled,
> >> > lived a different life! A wheelchair CHANGES you into a different
> >> creature!
> >> > STAIRS are a barrier! These people lived, worked & played in =20
> >> places
> >> where
> >> > I couldn=92t go. And because I can=92t talk, real bonding is =
>nearly
> >> impossible.
> >> >
> >> > So when I was told I could get a new power wheelchair, I did my =20
> >> best to
> >> > research things, looking for a chair with a long enough range to =20=
>
> >> get me
> >> out
> >> > of the neighborhood! Maybe I could make contact with some of =20
> >> the people
> >> I
> >> > knew before I became so debilitated! I knew people that used power
> >> > wheelchairs, like me! And there was one person in particular, =20
> >> who=92s
> >> level
> >> > of disability was similar to mine. When I got my new chair, I =20
> >> would go
> >> down
> >> > to his neighborhood and seek him out.
> >> >
> >> > Well, I finally connected with this person and his family. (You =20=
>
> >> know
> >> what
> >> > they say about =93birds of a feather!=94) We came together with =20=
>
> >> such force,
> >> > that the universe shook!
> >> >
> >> > When I told them about my housing situation, they became very =20
> >> alarmed,
> >> and
> >> > immediately went to work for me. They know a lawyer who works =20
> >> for legal
> >> > aid. And he looked for me in the computer, and found out that =20
> >> the last
> >> > lawyer had CLOSED MY CASE! And that the landlord had already =20
> >> gone to
> >> court!
> >> > He told them that eviction papers had been served. THAT=92S A =20=
>
> >> LIE! The
> >> > marshals were already on their way here to lock me out! So now, =20=
>
> >> we=92re
> >> > scrambling to get to court before the marshals come here!
> >> >
> >> > This new lawyer knows the landlord=92s lawyer. (Works with him =20
> >> all the
> >> time.)
> >> > They spoke. The landlord=92s lawyer called the landlord, asking =20=
>
> >> for
> >> mercy!
> >> > The landlord hung up on him!!!!! I think you have to stoop =20
> >> pretty low
> >> to
> >> > kick a severely disabled man out of the only affordable, wheelchair
> >> > accessible apartment in Manhattan!
> >> >
> >> > This is a rent stabilized apartment, and if the landlord gets me =20=
>
> >> out, he
> >> > could raise the rent, and get much more money! if I stay, the =20
> >> rent has
> >> to
> >> > remain pretty much the same. So naturally, they want me out. It
> >> doesn=92t
> >> > matter how disabled I am. It doesn=92t matter if I get locked =20
> >> away in an
> >> > institution for the rest of my life, (like so many other disabled
> >> people,
> >> > [because of a system, full of holes, and continual budget cuts =20
> >> by the
> >> > =93closet Nazis=94 that run this government])! All that matters is =
>=20
> >> money.
> >> The
> >> > bottom line! The landlord wants money! And he refuses to even =20
> >> discuss
> >> > this. Even with HIS OWN LAWYER!
> >> >
> >> > Can anybody help with this?
> >> >
> >> > I=92m thinking if the landlord could be embarrassed in the media, =20=
>
> >> maybe he
> >> > could be force to back down here.
> >> >
> >> > At one point I made a small effort to rally some tenants around =20
> >> me. But
> >> > nobody thought they could help. One person=92s comment was, =93but =
>=20
> >> there
> >> are
> >> > places for disabled people!=94 Sure there are! BIG places, up =20
> >> state!
> >> With
> >> > locked doors!
> >> >
> >> > ------------------------------------
> >> > The person I connected with, (along with his family), snatch me =20
> >> from
> >> > SPAGHETTIFICATION in the black hole of neglect by the system, IN =20=
>
> >> THE
> >> NICK
> >> OF
> >> > TIME! Was it by the grace of God, that we connected NOW, =20
> >> instead of a
> >> week
> >> > later?
> >> >
> >> > Please try and bring this story out in the open! Call the =20
> >> media! THERE
> >> ARE
> >> > NO AVAILABLE APARTMENTS FOR PEOPLE WITH PHYSICAL DISABILITIES! =20
> >> I AM
> >> > CURRENTLY IN ONE!!!! But because the landlord wants to make =20
> >> more of a
> >> > PROFIT, I=92m being forced out! I DID NOTHING WRONG! I=92m =20
> >> disabled & ill.
> >> > And I need a safe place to live!
> >> >
> >> >
> >> >
> >> > Very Sincerely,
> >> > Jonathan Rand
> >> > ------------------------------------
> >> >
> >> > Jonathan Rand
> >> > 792 Columbus Ave.,
> >> > Apt. 5-T
> >> > New York, NY 10025
> >> >
> >> > Landlord:
> >> > PARK WEST VILLAGE
|
