Forced to live with squatter in my Detroit Boston-Edison house?

**Danny** · October-10-12, 11:25 AM

Log Cabin St. from Puritan to McNichols used to be a called "CRACK HEAD ROW." back in the 1980s, the homes were well kept up, but most of them were own by drug dealers and gang overlords [[especially the Young Boys Inc.) Neighbors were warned not to snitch or else get killed! Parents kept their kids out of that area unless the YBI hired them to do drug runs on Dexter-Davison and Joy Rd- Clairmount block. That is why they must be home before the streetlights come on.

**Zacha341** · October-10-12, 11:33 AM

Perhaps she doesn't have any of those formidable 'burley' family types? She can borrow some of mine!

Originally Posted by trotwood

ICAM with those that suggest Peterson get some of her burley family members or friends to escort the squatter out! However I do worry that once Ms.Peterson gets this nut out of her house there will be some kind of retaliation against Ms.Peterson and/or the property.

**Detwa** · October-10-12, 11:36 AM

If there was no outstanding bills then the Missionary just called and turned it on. Every foreclosure wasn't a deadbeat, maybe the previous owners lost the home but moved and transferred their bills honestly, so the new owner didn't have a problem there.

Hey I wasn't even suggesting physical force by loading up the house with big guys, lol, but I figured have them all come and camp out for a long stay! Make Miss Missionary VERY uncomfortable when every room she turns into has a few big guys just hanging out and drinking beers and making themselves at home! After all, its apparently both of their homes now so everything is fair game.

She's only acting like that because Heidi is a tiny little soft spoken white woman.

**Zacha341** · October-10-12, 11:40 AM

Yeah, well she best toughin' and 'tighten' up or prepare to be a doormat! Once people perceive weakness and isolation they will bulldoze with impunity - withstanding race!

Originally Posted by Detwa

She's only acting like that because Heidi is a tiny little soft spoken white woman.

**Honky Tonk** · October-10-12, 11:41 AM

"She's only acting like that because Heidi is a tiny little soft spoken white woman"

Maybe some of us should volunteer to help Heidi out?

**Zacha341** · October-10-12, 11:43 AM

I've already volunteered some of my 'take-care-of-business', albeit somewhat estranged family members! ---

---

Originally Posted by Honky Tonk

"She's only acting like that because Heidi is a tiny little soft spoken white woman"

Maybe some of us should volunteer to help Heidi out?

**trotwood** · October-10-12, 11:44 AM

Originally Posted by Zacha341

Perhaps she doesn't have any of those formidable 'burley' family types? She can borrow some of mine!

Maybe not. If your folks are busy I'd happily send over a few of mine.
This is a bizarre&ridiculous sitauation.

**casscorridor** · October-10-12, 11:48 AM

My question is why can a bank evict a "squatter" but a homeowner can't?

**Danny** · October-10-12, 12:02 PM

Originally Posted by casscorridor

My question is why can a bank evict a "squatter" but a homeowner can't?

Sometimes banks can't evict a squatter due to his or her rights by international law. What banks can do is take their petition to court a law for eviction. That process would take 30 to 60 days eventually.

**p69rrh51** · October-10-12, 12:04 PM

Just change the locks and through her out!! What is the squatter going to do, call a cop [[they may get there sometime next year)? I doubt the squatter has the resources to take her to court.

**rex** · October-10-12, 12:13 PM

Thats not a family friendly area by any means. I certainly would move in there if I had a kid. This woman is basically screwed... whats she gonna do? Kick the nutcase out? Woman will burn that house to the ground.

**gnome** · October-10-12, 12:21 PM

Sounds like a job for the Detroit 300. They could come to the aid of a tax payer. Anyone want to hold their breath?

**Casual** · October-10-12, 12:23 PM

What a horrible situation.

there was a case like this a few years back where these brothers bought a load of homes from the county and flipped them to unsuspecting buyers. One buyer bought a home and went in to see what repairs needed to be made. While there the crazy skitzo squatter lady came back and threw a Molotov cocktail threw the window almost burning the new home owner alive.

I also follow this Detroit flipper on youtube by the name of Proshea1. That dude Vblogs everything! Last year he tried to evict some drug dealer squatters on the East Side and they burned his house down the next day.

**poobert** · October-10-12, 12:54 PM

Originally Posted by Detwa

She's only acting like that because Heidi is a tiny little soft spoken white woman.

Nah. Squatters are pretty non-discriminating. Like anyone, they'll walk all over you if you let them, regardless of race.

I'm not sure Heidi has all her marbles either, though. If you're buying a broken down old BE mini-mansion, in a sketchy part of BE, for $23k and that's all you've got...you're already in trouble, regardless of your strung out ghetto squatter tenant/presidential candidate.

Interestingly the squatter apparently leaves[[ I imagine to hit the campaign trail) since the news caught her pulling up, which would be an ideal time to change all the locks and sit on the porch with a loaded gun and a baseball bat. When squatter returns, inform them you have never seen them before and that they're going to have a bad day if they try to set foot on said property.

A lot of times squatters will squat with a bunch of people and never leave the house empty, just so you couldn't conjur up such a scenario.

Now, really, if I were living in a house with a squatter with my child, I would find a way to end said sqatter really quickly. Don't murders go unsolved like 70% of the time in Detroit? Grind up some glass for her gumbo and you've only got a 30% chance of getting caught.

**Crumbled_pavement** · October-10-12, 01:13 PM

Somebody remind me to stay on Poobert's good side.

**trotwood** · October-10-12, 01:35 PM

Originally Posted by gnome

Sounds like a job for the Detroit 300. They could come to the aid of a tax payer. Anyone want to hold their breath?

I hadn't thought of that but good idea.
When I saw the story I couldn't help but think Maureen Taylor's crew should lend a hand to get the squatter out of Peterson's house.

**rex** · October-10-12, 01:38 PM

every part of BE is sketchy. Its surrounded on all sides by desperate areas. A bad neighborhood with cool homes. Best way to maintain what little integrity it has left would be throwing a large fence up around it and restricting entrance to 1 or 2 streets with a guard that lifts a gate. you may wonder why I think this way. BE is smack dab in the middle of a drug area. Probably been this way 40 years. Addicts in this area arent of the functional variety either. That gas station at woodward and trowbridge is an open air drug market. I made the mistake of stopping there not too long ago. Some kid approached me right away. Pretty sure he thought I phoned him to meet up since he was surprised that I didn't know what he wanted. Inside the station i was solicited again by what looked like a 8 year old. People that live in BE are assumed to have some money. Seems like the best way to preserve and turn BE around would be to keep those who dont belong in the neighborhood out. We all know whats going on in the police dept. They cant/wont show up. Even if they do what are they gonna say? Someone stole your radiator and everything of value while you were gone? Sorry to hear that. We will take a report but dont expect anything. With all the investment going on downtown if BE was secured I bet people that could afford to keep these homes up would move in. Make it a gated community. Why not?

& yea. Heidi didn't think this one through

**gazhekwe** · October-10-12, 01:58 PM

Sounds like the squatter was taking a page out of the book of Columbus. Move in and say it's your place now. See how that worked out for the Natives in this part of the world?

**softailrider** · October-10-12, 02:01 PM

Originally Posted by Zacha341

What I don't get is how are utilities turned on? Last I heard if there are delinquencies on the water, gas or electric you cannot get these things turned on in your name; squatter or otherwise.

So what are the squatters doing when MICHIGAN WINTER comes, what are they doing for sanitation all year?

Almost all have illegal hook-ups of gas and electric. If you think they sit there and freeze all Winter you're wrong. Think about that the next time you open up your gas bill.

**poobert** · October-10-12, 02:07 PM

Originally Posted by softailrider

Almost all have illegal hook-ups of gas and electric. If you think they sit there and freeze all Winter you're wrong. Think about that the next time you open up your gas bill.

While many times they do, when DTE finds out [[you can call their theft reporting line) they cut it off at the pole. Sometimes that gets rid of the squatters. Remember, though, that virtually every Detroit home has a fireplace. Between that [[usually burning all the irreplacable woodwork in the house first) and an insanely dangerous kerosene heater, and candles for light, they often STILL stick around. Curl up by the fireplace, burn the banister, poop in your bucket - you're good to go.

**SWMAP** · October-10-12, 02:17 PM

Here's a very insightful WSJ article about the problems in Boston-Edison caused by the very bad surrounding neighborhoods. It was a profile of a woman who walked away from her home there:

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB1000...248715858.html

**SWMAP** · October-10-12, 02:20 PM

poop in your bucket - you're good to go That's just what the squatters next door to my house were doing. Bad water thrown out a second floor window every morning. Me with my hose out over the fence as soon as they left.

I was so stunned that I didn't leave right then. The neighbor on the other side immediately put her house up for sale but couldn't find a single buyer three years ago. maybe now if she tries again.

**detroitsgwenivere** · October-10-12, 02:50 PM

WOW THIS IS CRAZY!! If I came home and some looney tune was in my house the gun would be out and so would she. Fuck the cops. Fuck the courts. She's got 10 seconds to back herself out the front door [[10 because its a giant BE house). I'll gladly throw her crap into a box and set it out for her right before I barracade the doors and nail the windows shut. Let the cops deal with it if they bother to show up.

There's a boat load of reasonable doubt that can be concocted involving Castle Law, trust me.

**Detwa** · October-10-12, 03:43 PM

I went back and reread the story and noticed something that I didn't notice earlier:

As our story was going to air, we had a chance to talk to the alleged squatter. She denied that she was squatting and said she has a lease.

"I have a construction lien for the repairs that I put into the house. Someone had [[broken) into the house on July the Fourth and they stripped the radiators and I made a report," she added.

"In February 2011, we had to vacate because the boiler was damaged," she continued. "I took all my books and my writings, but my [[furniture was) still left in [[there)."

We also asked her whether she thinks there is a program where anybody can go into Detroit, take over an abandoned house and live there.

"I'm an advocate for affordable

housing. That's a part of my campaign," she said. "I've believed that since the first time I met her when I was running for state Senate [[in) 2010 and she was also running for a political office, that was a part of my belief. I signed an oath pledging that I would fight for affordable homes."
We're told Peterson leased the house to tenants in 2010, including this alleged squatter, but had to evict everyone when it was found not fit to live in.
We're also told the alleged squatter filed papers with the city claiming the property was abandoned.

I was under the impression that these two didn't know each other at all, and she just came home to find this nutjob in her house and now she's sleeping in there with her child. Well, only part of that's true - according to this, Peterson and Nutjob did already know each other and were previously landlord/tenant. So did Nutjob get evicted, then decide to come back on her own after she saw the house remained empty? Still not right, but not quite the nightmare that it sounded like at first.