Landlord Fights To Get Hoarder Evicted
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- Garbage and junk piled high – insects buzzing around the ceiling.
That is how investigators describe the apartment of a man they call a hoarder.
And they say – this is not the first time he has done this.
Ken Goldsmith was hiding behind the door of his Friendship apartment. Cameras recorded a swarm of bugs flying around the ceiling.
On the floor is what some estimate to be five tons of garbage – six-feet high in some places.
Marty Griffin: "Sir, do you have any intention of leaving, sir? Any intention at all of leaving? No, sir? What is going on in here, sir? Can you tell us at all?"
Goldsmith: "We're done."
Marty Griffin: "You're done? Okay .. Thank you, sir."
Connie Lucey, owner of the apartment, told KDKA-TV the former tenant moved out and moved Ken Goldsmith in without her knowledge.
She says she checked the apartment last summer and found it full of garbage. In the fall, she found it still full of trash. A few days ago with a judge's order she went back and had to get back in for a look.
"I need to get back in here, you knew I was coming," Lucey said.
There is so much trash Lucey has trouble.
"I'm at the point I can't even open the door anymore," Lucey said.
She has to climb to get inside. Goldsmith grabs a small blue bag and says he wants to take it outside.
"I'm just trying to take out these recyclables now," he said.
A search of records shows landlords have been through this before with Goldsmith – more than 30 filings with the county and a significant number of judgments.
One is for nearly $5,000 for an apartment records indicate Goldsmith trashed on Negley Avenue. Included in the damages – the cost for body suits, masks and dumpsters for the cleanup.
The cases go back a decade.
"Everybody knows him," Lucey said. "No one can do a thing about it. No one can do a thing about it. Criminal charges against him. He's done this so many times. He's done this to so many people."
Lucey has a mound of paperwork from her nine month legal battle to remove Goldsmith who has no lease.
Records indicate county health department inspectors have looked at cases involving Goldsmith going back a decade.
Regarding this case, Dr. Bruce Dixon said he will have a specific plan of action by Tuesday.
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