Local News

Renters Caught In Middle Of Foreclosures

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) ― Renters are often the innocent victims of the foreclosure crisis.

Tenants pay their rent but face possible eviction because their landlords don't pay their mortgage loans.

Now there's word of a massive foreclosure on a dozen apartments buildings whose tenants who face an uncertain future.

All of the buildings are owned by one landlord who owes the bank more than $2 million dollars.

Sheriff sales are the end of the line in the foreclosure process.

Now on the block are 11 apartment buildings sprinkled through the Southside and a few other neighborhoods and towns.

All of them are currently owned by one landlord, Davin Gartley, the owner of Davin Investments, who is in default to the bank for some $2.4 million in loans.

That default leaves rent paying tenants like Jean Winkowski in the lurch.

"If it goes up for sheriff sale how long does that give us to move," asked Winkowski. "You know what I mean. He hasn't told anybody nothing."

Others, like Mike Zidow, are unsure what to do.

"It's a surprise and I'm not quite sure what's going to happen in the future," said Zidow.

Through no fault of their own tenants, who are current on their rent, face an uncertain future when their landlords end up in default.

We've even witnessed some who have actually been evicted.

Randi Lowe of the Community Reinvestment Group says more and more renters are facing the same plight.

"They end up on the street," said Lowe. "They end up with relative, they lose their security deposit and all the rent they put in and they have to start over."

Gartley says he is a victim of high vacancies and unpaid rents but says he is trying to sell the building to keep all the paying tenants in place.

A representative of the bank also says they'll try not to evict anyone.

Lowe says that only makes sense for all involved.

"If the tenants are there, and they're paying rent at least it's an income stream for the building and the building is occupied and it's not going to get trashed," said Lowe.

Zidow says he may even turn the tables on his landlord.

"I may have to save this month's rent for something new or perhaps I will bid on the sheriff sale," he said.

Renters do have some recourse but perhaps not much.

If you have a lease, a new owner must honor that lease.

But to protect yourself, it's good to do a little research on your landlord to see if their paying their taxes or have any legal judgments against them.

(© MMVIII, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)

---