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Bucks County DA Files Civil Suit Against Dublin Landlords Over Unsafe Housing

The case tests a consumer-protection law as a tool to police unsafe rentals.

Overview

  • Khan filed the case Monday in Bucks County Common Pleas Court under the state Unfair Trade Practices and Consumer Protection Law, naming brothers Richard and Ronald Goetter and R & R Enterprises.
  • The 113 South Main Street building was condemned on April 13, displacing six tenants who were then helped into new housing by county Human Services and the Co-Responder Program.
  • Investigators say the property lacked heat for years, pushing tenants to use portable heaters on faulty wiring that posed fire risks.
  • Detectives reported black mold, rodent and cockroach infestations, blocked or inaccessible exits, an overpowering odor of human waste, and only one working bathroom in an eight-bedroom building.
  • Prosecutors seek a permanent injunction, restitution for the six tenants, and civil penalties, and they asked former tenants from 2013 to 2016 to contact the DA’s office.