Pacific Park’s Suit On Docket July 9 Residents Hold Spokane Housing Authority Responsible For Loss Of Their Quality Of Life

Ten Pacific Park neighborhood residents are suing Spokane Housing Authority for providing housing to a family who they say stole their quality of life and peace of mind.

The case will be heard Wednesday at 9 a.m. in Small Claims Court.

Each of the complaining neighbors can ask for up to $2,500 if they win. The judge will decide actual awards, if any.

Spokane Housing Authority served an eviction notice on the family in March. Officials later withdrew the notice and began working with the family to find new housing.

The family moved out of the Valerie Street house in early June.

Mary Jo Harvey, executive director of the Spokane Housing Authority, said details of the family’s move are confidential.

Problems in the neighborhood started soon after the family moved in last spring. Residents complained about cars coming and going at all hours, mail and newspapers disappearing, fighting and foul language.

The last straw was a fight at the house Christmas Eve. A young man visiting the family showed up bleeding on a neighbor’s doorstep. Residents, who for months were documenting problems with the family, met with Safe Streets Now coordinators in January.

“It’s our position that the SHA took all appropriate steps in this matter under the circumstances,” Harvey said. The Spokane Housing Authority was last involved in a lawsuit in 1996, brought by a Stevens County participant. The case was heard in federal court and all charges were dismissed with prejudice, meaning the plaintiff can’t rekindle the matter later.

“The housing authority has not had any prior claims similar in nature to the Pacific Park neighbors’ claims,” said Harvey.

While Safe Streets educates citizens on their options in small claims court, it’s up to the neighborhood to decide if they actually want to take the matter to court.

“We’re just the information outlet, making citizens aware of their rights,” said Lt. Glenn Winkey, Safe Streets spokesman. “Citizens make their own decisions and present their own cases. No attorneys are allowed.”

Safe Streets has handled more than 200 complaints by neighbors in its first three years. Only four have gone to court.

In a case last week, four neighbors on the the South Side took a landlord to court complaining his tenants were disturbing them with their noise and loud music.

The neighbors were awarded between $100 and $400 each. The noisemaker also had to pay filing fees for each of the complaints. His total bill was $900.

Problems brought to Safe Streets don’t have to be drug raids or knife fights. It can simply be excessive noise or disruption in the neighborhood, said Winkey.

Safe Streets doesn’t become involved in Hatfield vs McCoy-type personality conflicts.

“They are suing under nuisance statutes,” said Winkey. “They have to show how the problem has effected their quality of life.”

In one case, a Hillyard woman was tormented by her neighbor’s vulgar conversations on a citizens band radio that were coming across her television, radio and telephone lines.

In another case, the landlord was brought to court because his tenant’s children were intimidating the neighborhood. Neighbors won again.

Safe Street is under the umbrella of Spokane COPS, a community oriented policing project.

, DataTimes