More Former Tenants Come Forward In Bucks "Slumlord" Civil Action

DOYLESTOWN, PA — The Bucks County District Attorney's office on Wednesday filed a second amended civil enforcement action against a Bucks County real estate business, expanding its housing justice lawsuit to include two more former tenants who have come forward to report severe, unsafe living conditions.

The litigation, filed in the Court of Common Pleas, marks the first time the Bucks County District Attorney’s Office has utilized the Pennsylvania Unfair Trade Practices and Consumer Protection Law to target a landlord for deceptive and unsafe housing practices.

The action centers on Richard Goetter and his family’s real estate company, R & R Enterprises, which was used to receive rent money from tenants who suffered deplorable conditions at 113 S. Main Street in Dublin Borough.

The newly added victims, identified as tenants 10 and 11 in court documents, lived at the property for a one-year period approximately two to three years ago, sharing a room. Their accounts corroborate previous accounts that the hazardous conditions at the building were part of a long-standing pattern.

“In the weeks since we filed this suit, R&R Enterprises has done nothing to make things right for the folks who were ripped off while being denied basic human needs,” said District Attorney Joe Khan. “In the meanwhile, more and more victims have come forward to share their stories. We thank the community and the media for stepping up and helping us bring these facts to light. We will continue to do the hard work to not only seek justice for these tenants but to ensure that we protect everyone in Bucks County from corrupt business practices like these.”

According to the amended complaint, tenants 10 and 11 said they experienced no working heat which mirrors the accounts of more recent tenants who also said they had no heat source and were forced to provide their own electric space heaters, causing dangerous conditions with extension cords running across the floors of the building.

The new tenants in the lawsuit also reported a severe rodent infestation and explicitly complained about the issue during their tenancy. Both tenants said they paid $150 per week in rent directly to the property manager.

With these new additions, Khan said the lawsuit continues to expose a corrupt business model that thrived by forcing vulnerable, low-income tenants to choose between staying in unsafe housing or facing homelessness. Additional evidence has reinforced that the building has been plagued by severe code violations and a total lack of essential heat since at least 2013.

Last month, the DA's office amended its original lawsuit when four victims, including a mother and her 11-year-old son, came forward after the announcement of this historic civil action.

"Our office continues to urge past residents of 113 S. Main Street or any other properties owned by the Goetter family to come forward and contact our office to report unfair, deceptive, and unsafe living conditions," said the DA.

The Bucks County District Attorney’s Office is seeking a permanent injunction, restitution for all affected victims, and civil penalties. Because several affected tenants are over the age of 60, the defendants may face enhanced civil penalties of up to $3,000 per violation for those specific infractions.

The case was investigated by Bucks County detectives and the Dublin Borough Police Department and is being litigated by Deputy District Attorney Elizabeth Oquendo, chief of civil enforcement.