A Timeline Of Events – dpierceshms

In the summer of 2018, I moved into an apartment at a privately owned Section 8 property managed by Supportive Housing Management Services (SHMS), also known as Action Housing.

Since June 30, 2020, Action Housing has audited my account nine times:

June 30, 2020: $346 past due. This bill is the only bill I paid.
October 23, 2020 Late Notice for $852.
June 28, 2021 Late Notice for $1,288.
August 31, 2022: 30-Day Notice to Quit $2,170 for five months past due.
December 15, 2022 $2,629.
February 15, 2023 $1,157.
January 10, 2024: 30-Day Notice to Quit $691 for 1+ months. After deducting my rent, the past due amount was $188.
April 9, 2024, 30 Day Notice to Quit for $774 for 2.5 months.
July 8, 2024 $1,277.

There is a $1,472 difference between the December 2022 ($2,629) and the February 2023 ($1,157) payments. It is possible that the $1,472 was a donation from Catholic Charities, but Catholic Charities and SHMS will not confirm a donation.

Late Notice October 23, 2020

On October 23, 2020, I received a late notice for $852 in past-due rent. After reviewing my canceled checks, the property manager confirmed that the notice had been sent in error.

Late Notice June 28, 2021

I sent canceled checks to the property manager when I received the second late notice, but she told me to ignore it as it had been sent incorrectly.

The Toilet Overflowed August 3, 2022

On August 3, 2022, I reported an overflowing toilet to SHMS’s maintenance department.

August 5th—Day 3: I emailed the operations manager, stating that I would contact the health department if the toilet wasn’t fixed by Monday. August 8th—Day 6: A health inspector called SHMS. August 9th—Day 7: The toilet was finally repaired.

I used a neighbor’s bathroom for seven days.

I notified my therapist on August 9, 2022, that the health department had contacted SHMS and the toilet had been fixed. (eom means end of message).

3rd Audit 1st Eviction Notice August 31, 2022

The eviction notice does not mention specific dates and amounts. It does offer several remedies, including an option to agree to mediation with Just Mediation Pittsburgh. I considered that option until I discovered Mr. Webster has a conflict of interest.

Kyle Webster is SHMS’s VP of Housing and General Counsel.

He is also a member of Just Mediation Pittsburgh’s board of directors, a non-profit with less than ten employees.

As VP of Housing at SHMS, his primary duty is to act in the best interest of SHMS. Simultaneously, as a board member of Just Mediation Pittsburgh, he has an equal obligation to act in the best interests of tenants who have fallen behind in their rent. This raises the question of who he works for at any given time.

Mediation would include an employee of Just Mediation Pittsburgh, myself as the tenant, and SHMS as the landlord.

Because of that question, I contacted Attorney Bill Bickerton; working pro bono, he called the property manager, twice, asking for an accounting ledger. She never returned his calls.

Pennsylvania AG’s Office September 12, 2022

Since I’m not eligible for legal aid, I contacted the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s office in September 2022, hoping they could act as a mediator.

My complaint Page 1 of 3

My complaint Page 2 of 3

My complaint Page 3 of 3

Mr. Webster’s Response September 22, 2022

Mr. Webster’s responce Page 1 of 2

Mr. Webster’s response Page 2 of 2

Late Notices Page 1 of Mr. Webster’s response

“Generally, she would receive late notices each month her rent is late, as is our standard practice. During the COVID-19 pandemic and consistent with best practices at the time, we stopped issuing monthly late notices so as to avoid additional stress on our tenants and instead sent regular messages to tenants to tap into the existing rental assistance options created due to the pandemic.”

Mr. Webster is wrong. I received a Late Notice on October 23, 2020, for a past-due amount of $882 and a second on June 28, 2021, for a past-due amount of $1,288.

“I wrote the Notice to Quit myself.”

Page 2 of Mr. Webster’s response

“In late August, Miss Pierce called again to complain of a clogged toilet. Maintenance went out and saw that the issue was related to user error, not a maintenance concern. They worked with her to show her how to utilize her toilet properly.”

There was no reason for Mr. Webster to mention that the toilet was broken; I was seeking documentation on the eviction notice, not the seven days without a working toilet.

That incident never occurred; it was a product of his imagination—pure fiction intended to teach me my proper place because I had the audacity to call a government agency, the health department.

Yet he felt compelled to weave a story intended to embarrass and humiliate me.

“We have made sure she knows the proper channels for complaint, “

Page 3 of Mr. Webster’s response

The letter Webster wrote was for me, not for the AG. He gave a glaring insight into his character by lying about the Late Notices issued during the pandemic and fantasizing about maintenance men teaching a 71-year-old woman how to use a toilet properly.

Mr. Webster attached a copy of my lease to his response, however, page 6 is missing.

AG’s Office Closes the Complaint September 31, 2022

Page 6 of 6

The AG’s office closed the case 24 hours after Mr. Webster responded to the AG. “As you may know, participation in the bureau’s mediation process is voluntary for both sides, and we cannot compel a business to agree to a solution. As a result, we will take no further action on your complaint at this time.”

Paying Past-Due Rent Legal Shield October 14, 2022

Page 1 of 2

“In order to assess the entirety of Miss Pierce’s financial situation, I am asking that you provide me with a full accounting for each year of Miss Pierce’s tenancy.”

Jessica DuFour wrote a letter describing my bipolar disorder, which Attorney Hunt included.

While he did respond to Attorney Hunt, he ignored her request.

5th Audit Past – Due Rent December 15, 2022

On December 15, 2022, the past-due amount increased from $2,170 to $2,627.

Ledger Janurary 17, 2023

I don’t know what prompted Mr. Webster to send this email and I have no idea who he is referring to; Attorney Bill Bickerton called the property manager on September 8, 2022, and he replied to the Pennsylvania Attorney Generals on September 22, 2022. Attorney Hunt contacted him on October 14, 2022.

He continues writing, “Please find the attached Ledger for your account.”

Page 1 of 2

Page 2 of 2

The ledger begins with two payments in June 2018, the third entry is dated August 21, 2021.

A $9 payment was made on October 28, 2022, but I do not have any record of it.

6th Audit Late Notice February 15, 2023

A donation from Catholic Charities may have lowered the amount past-due to $1,157.

Paying Past-Due Rent April 12, 2022

SHMS ignored my $10 monthly payment proposal.

Paying Past-Due Rent April 14, 2022

Two non-profits were willing to contribute to the past-due rent. SHMS would not give me the information they needed to make that donation.

Paying Past-Due Rent April 18, 2022

I found two additional non-profits that would contribute to my overdue rent if I sent them a copy of my lease and the amount of Catholic Charities’ donation. Neither SHMS nor Catholic Charities will give me the amount of that contribution.

Rent 2023 – 2024 September 1, 2023

After deleting their evidence of nonpayment from my ledger, SHMS increased my rent by 21.5%. With this approach, they do not need that ledger missing 38 months of transactions to evict me. They intend to price me out of my apartment. (Note: Originally, I calculated that my rent increase was 16.5%; that’s wrong; it’s 21.5%.)

I expect my 2024 – 2025 rent to increase by $150.

Catholic Charities September 10, 2023

Neither SHMS nor Catholic Charities have provided details about a donation.

On December 15, 2022, the past-due amount was $2,629, in February it dropped to $1,157. The difference, $1,472, would have been the Catholic Charities donation.

Ledger September 27, 2023 9:43 AM

I requested a copy of the ledger that included the 38 months they deleted. They have yet to respond to this email.

Ledger September 27, 2023 10:05 AM

Ms. Hewlett replied, “The ledger then begins from 2021 for everyone as the system has been updated/changed.”

Ledger September 30, 2023

Question: Why is the status of my ledger “Current?” The property manager has never replied.

However, the envelope is dated April 2023, not February 2023.

This is the fifth audit since June 2020.

7th Audit 2nd Eviction Notice January 9, 2024

In an email to Reona Hewlett on January 9, 2024, I explained that my debit card had been compromised and that I might be a few days late with the rent check.

Her immediate reaction was an eviction notice “representing 1+ months of unpaid rent.”

The overdue rent would be $154 after paying the January 2024 rent of $537.

2nd Eviction Notice January 14, 2024

I wanted to confirm that the overdue rent was $154. The property manager, Reona Hewlett, has never replied.

2nd Eviction Notice January 26, 2024

I wanted Reona Hewlett to confirm that the additional $154 was past due rent and ask her to change the eviction date to January 21st.

3rd Eviction Notice March 13, 2024

Prior to March 2024, I usually paid my rent on the 10th of the month, five days after it was due. Three payments were made on March 13, 2024, so I could start paying rent before the 5th.

Three payments were made on March 13, 2024, so I could start paying rent before the 5th.

Lastly, I left a message with Just Mediation Pittsburgh concerning scheduling a mediation session. My call has never been returned.

3rd Eviction Notice April 4, 2024

At first, I was dumbfounded when I saw the credits. Now I realize that they are a gift, Reonna Hewlett has proven she will and can manipulate the money, making it appear that my account is in arrears.

I should send her a Thank You note someday.