Tenant Gets Goods Back; Slumlord Not in Contempt

Contempt of court charges were dismissed Wednesday against convicted slumlord Nathaniel Wells when a judge ruled that Wells had “substantially complied” with an order to return the household goods of a South-Central Los Angeles family evicted four months ago from one of his properties.

But the Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles said it will file suit against the jailed property owner in federal court in what is likely to be the first challenge against a slumlord under federal racketeering laws.

Wells’ attorney said all the goods have been returned to former tenant Agnes Fowler, but Fowler said the truckload of goods delivered Friday to the church shelter where she and her seven children are staying included none of the items of value removed from the house less than half an hour after her eviction.

Although the family’s clothing and furniture were returned, they are missing a 10-speed bicycle, bunk beds, a telescope, a typewriter, refrigerator, large tools and other items worth an estimated $2,500, Fowler said. The $150 cash removed from the house when the family was evicted was also not returned, she said.

Exchange for Storage Fee

At the suggestion of Municipal Judge Lorna Parnell, Fowler agreed to forgo return of those items in exchange for the $210 she owes Wells for storage of the furniture. Wells was ordered on Aug. 5 to return the goods or be found in contempt.

“That was the best alternative at this point. Because the property that is missing is basically nonexistent at this point,” said Fowler’s attorney, Arturo Herrera.

Wells, who is serving the stiffest sentence ever imposed on a Los Angeles slumlord for a variety of health and safety code violations, did not appear at Wednesday’s hearing.

But his attorney, James Grinnell, said Wells’ agents lawfully seized Fowler’s goods when she was evicted for failing to pay her rent. Although Fowler claims that she told Wells’ agents she was not paying her rent because needed repairs had not been made on the house, Grinnell said she never took any legal steps to get the repairs made.

“If she felt that there were repairs that needed to be made, there are agencies she could have gone to to get it taken care of,” Grinnell said.

Herrera, an attorney for the Legal Aid Foundation, said the organization plans to file a federal suit on Fowler’s behalf charging Wells with violation of federal racketeering laws in the administration of his Los Angeles properties, estimated at 60 when he was sentenced in 1982 to four years in jail and a $9,000 fine.

The foundation has received at least two complaints in the last two weeks from other tenants who claim that Wells’ agents have improperly confiscated their possessions.

“Mr. Wells seems to be running his property empire in such a way that he’s continuing to abuse the process. One can imagine if this is going on while he’s doing time, when he gets out, the situation isn’t going to get any better,” Herrera said. Wells is not scheduled for release from jail until October, Herrera said.