25C-007 (15) L
Obviously the people living there don't agree that it's impossible to
use the kitchens or bathrooms.
You know about the mice seen months ago because you were told not
to leave food out. Some of the housemates are squeamish. We polled
them all and they don't want to put out traps and poison. If you had
insisted or the City insisted that vegetarians be damned, we would
have paid for the traps or poison. It's not worth leaving a
commitment to a house over that, Erica.
We're going to let the young maid you refer to as saying the
conditions are no good speak for himself at a later date when he gets
a chance. Your story is inaccurate there too, but I'm sure you already
know your whole letter is false if you have seen the letter you
supposedly sent.
Your father is now in a difficult spot. We'd suggest he retract his
slanders (and libels if he has written any). Courts will decide his
slanders are commercial speech. In 1986, the United States Court of
Appeals for the Ninth Circuit wrote a nice summary of the legal
burdens you face: "Nothing is clearer M the emerging law of
commercial free speech than that false or misleading commercial
speech is clearly 'subject to restraint."'
Our tenants also have a basis for suing Your father. Let this be a
warning that he is not allowed on our property. His appearance
September 4 is trespassing.
Your father who claims to us that he is a landlord is helping you with
the rent, but that doesn't mean he owns you Erica. What's he going to
do if you decide to live somewhere he doesn't like`? Not help pay?
What kind of father would that be?
Sincerely,
J' �Ivjl
Dawn Paulinski
PO Box 15626
Boston, MA 02215
a
September 8, 1.996
Ms. Erica Moss
c/o Holzman
14 Ingell Road
Chester, MA 01011
Dear Erica Moss and Dr. Holzman:
We have received your letter- concerning Erica's failure to take
occupancy August 31, 1996 at 142 North St. in Northampton.
We have found a tenant who disagrees with your father's assessment
of the house and your room. He is paying 10% more than you did. We
showed him the Union-News story your father's slander was
responsible for on September 7. We also showed him a letter from
the Building Inspector and he still chose to move in. Unlike your
father, we have nothing to hide and we show all the tenants these
documents. We also do the most to contribute to the tenants' security
and safety by speaking out against unlawful searches and
trespassing. Such must be done with the consent of the occupants at
a time convenient to them. As landlords we have a duty to our
tenants to provide for their security.
Since we found someone to take your place, even though we didn't
show it to anyone for a month on your account, we would have
seriously considered refunding all but a week of your rent, but now
we have various damages to look into. Of course, your father's
slander of us to the newspapers is worth much more than $250,
because it makes it more difficult for us to conduct our business.
You speak of holes in the walls, but what about the hole in the wall
you made on the way in when we let you move your furniture early?
You speak of clutter in the hallways, but it was your clutter in many
of the places you mention including a kitchen and pantry. It was
your couch cluttering the front stairway that your father blamed us
for in your letter.
There were loose wires but they are not connected to anything and
pose no danger to anyone. Contrary to rumor and slander there was a
licensed electrician at work in the house and she had already filed
for a permit.