New Victims Come Forward In Historic Bucks Co. Housing Justice Case

DOYLESTOWN, PA — Bucks County District Attorney Joe Khan announced on Tuesday new allegations in a civil enforcement action filed in April against a Dublin Borough landlord, adding four additional victims in an amended complaint.

Among the newly identified tenants subjected to the uninhabitable conditions is a mother and her 11-year-old son, the DA announced.

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 specifically target a landlord for deceptive and unsafe housing practices.

The action centers on Richard Goetter, Ronald Goetter, and their fictitious business entity, R & R Enterprises, regarding a property located in the 100 block of South Main Street in Dublin Borough.

The lawsuit alleges that the Goetter's operated a business model that profited by forcing vulnerable, low-income tenants to choose between staying in unsafe housing or face homelessness.

Following the public announcement of the lawsuit in April, 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, the DA's office said.

The investigation found that due to the lack of a working heat source, tenants were forced to rely on portable electric heaters and extension cords that created severe fire and trip hazards.

Inspections also found black mold in community bathrooms, vermin infestations, and the overwhelming odor of human waste, along with fractured porch supports, and a lack of functioning smoke detectors or emergency exits.

Of the three bathrooms in the eight-bedroom building, only one was functional, the DA's office said.

Among the new victims in the amended complaint is a mother who “described the living conditions as horrible but felt they had no other choice but to live there.”

Both she and two other tenants identified in the amended complaint said they complained about the conditions and asked for repairs, but nothing was ever done, the DA's office said.

“The original complaint brought to light horrific mistreatment of some of our most vulnerable residents, including the elderly and disabled tenants who were cheated of heat in Code Blue winters,” Khan said. “Now that we know that the defendants exposed an 11-year-old to these dangerous conditions, we will do whatever it takes to make sure that no child in Bucks County is ever endangered in this way again.”

Information brought forward by the community directly assisted investigators in identifying the additional victims and expanding the scope of the case, the DA's office said.

"Our office continues to urge past residents of 113 S. Main Street and past residents of other properties owned by Richard Goetter to come forward and contact our office to report unfair, deceptive, and unsafe living conditions," said Khan. "We continue to commend the Bucks County social services agencies for their swift, ongoing coordination in securing housing for the residents who were forced to leave after the building was deemed unsafe."

In its lawsuit, 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.

This 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.