NEIGHBORS
NEIGHBORS OF A NORTH AUSTIN GROUP HOME -- WHERE SOME OF THE TENANTS ARE INTELLECTUALLY
DISABLED -- SAY
IT'S CREATING A LOT OF
HEADACHES.
DOZENS OF CALLS TO POLICE AND
THE CITY'S CODE
DEPARTMENT -- HAVE NEIGHBORS FED
UP.
BUT THE GROUP HOME MANAGER TELLS
KVUE'S JENNI LEE...SHE
FEELS IT'S A CASE OF
HARRASSMENT.
OOD NEIGHBOR
DAN ARMSTRONG/AUSTI N CODE
DEPARTMENT
BILL SPIESMAN/PRESIDE NT,
BRENTWOOD NEIGHBORHOOD
ASSOCIATION
TOMMIE MCKINNEY/PROPER TY
MANAGER
MANAGER
MANAGER THIS MAY LOOK LIKE A NORMAL HOME
IN BRENTWOOD. BUT NEIGHBOR BRITNEY JO
LUDKOWSKI SAYS IT USUALLY
DOESN'T LOOK LIKE THIS.
SHE SHARED PICTURES OF WHAT SHE
SAYS IT USUALLY
DOES LOOK LIKE.
"WE HAVE TRASH AND CIGARETTES,
WE TYPICALLY FILL UP A GALLON
SIZE
SIZE ZIPLOC ABOUT ONCE A WEEK FROM OUR YARD JUST FROM US PICKING IT UP."
SHE SAYS SINCE THE TENANTS MOVED
IN IN MARCH, THERE HAVE BEEN
CONSTANT PROBLEMS.
"WE'VE HAD PLENTY OF PEOPLE
DEFECATE IN OUR YARD, URINATING
IN
OUR YARD."
"THEY HANG OUT IN THEIR FRONT
YARD, IN OUR YARD, UP AND DOWN
THE
STREETS, THEY DRINK PUBLICLY,
THEY GO TO THE PARK, THEY'RE
REALLY LOUD, VERY, VERY
AGGRESSIVE, SCREAMING,
FIGHTING, TALKING ABOUT KILLING
EACH OTHER. THEY WAKE US UP IN
THE
MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT FROM HOW
LOUD THEY ARE."
PROMPTING DOZENS OF CALLS TO
POLICE...
POLICE...
"PROBABLY
"PROBABLY CLOSE TO 30 IF NOT MORE." LUDKOWSKI TOOK SEVERAL VIDEOS OF
POLICE AND EMS
VISITS TO THE HOME.
APD HAS RESPONDED 82 TIMES. THE
CODE DEPARTMENT HAS MADE 31 SITE
VISITS.
"THERE ARE PROBLEMS ARE ON THAT
PROPERTY. THERE HAVE BEEN
NOTED BEHAVORIAL ISSUES THAT THE
COMMUNITY HAS CALLED AND
COMPLAINED ABOUT."
COMPLAINED ABOUT."
THE
THE CITY
THE CITY HAS ISSUED ONE CITATION FOR WORK BEING DONE WITHOUT A PERMIT.
THE PROPERTY MANAGER, TOMMIE
MCKINNEY, HAS
ADMITTED TO VIOLATING THE
OCCUPANCY CODE.
THERE ARE SUPPOSED TO BE NO MORE
THAN 15 PEOPLE
AT THE HOME, BUT INSTEAD THERE
ARE 22.
IF THERE ARE TOO MANY
INDIVIDUALS THERE, WHAT'S
THE CODE DEPARTMENT DOING ABOUT
THAT?
AUSTIN CODE WILL CITE FOR
OCCUPANCY. THAT IS
SOMETHING THAT IS BEING
MONITORED, IT'S AN ONGOING
INVESTIGATION, THIS IS NOT
CLOSED.">
THE PRESIDENT OF THE BRENTWOOD
NEIGHBORHOOD
ASSOCIATION SAYS NIEGHBORS ARE
FRUSTRATED
ABOUT THE CITY'S LACK OF ACTION
AND THINKS OTHER
RESIDENTS WOULDN'T GET SO MANY
CHANCES.
"BUT THE CITY IS CONCERNED ABOUT
GETTING SUED FOR NOT PROVIDING
HOMES FOR THESE PEOPLE AND SO
THEY JUST LET THIS PROCESS
SLIDE."
SLIDE."
"THE
"THE FEAR
"THE FEAR OF A LAWSUIT IS NOT GOING TO STOP US FROM DOING OUR JOB. WE OPERATE WITHIN THE LAW,
WE OPERATE WITHIN POLICY.
THERE'S NO DEVIATIONS OF THAT SO
THERE'S NO CONCERN."
DESPITE THAT, NEIGHBORS BELIEVE
THE CITY IS
CONCERNED BECAUSE SOME OF THE
TENANTS ARE MENTALLY
CHALLENGED AND PROTECTED UNDER
THE AMERICANS
WITH DISABILITIES ACT. MCKINNEY
HAS ALSO FILED A REASONABLE
ACCOMODATION
REQUEST UNDER THE ADA.
THAT MEANS SHE WANTS AN
EXEMPTION TO THE 15 PERSON
LIMIT BECAUSE OF THEIR
DISABILITIES.
NEIGHBORS ARE CONCERNED MCKINNEY
IS NOT QUALIFIED
TO LOOK AFTER THE TENANTS.
"THEY'RE BEING ALLOWED TO WANDER
AROUND, PEOPLE THAT
REALLY DO NEED MEDICAL CARE BUT
SHE MAKES SURE SHE DOESN'T
PROVIDE ANY OF THAT BECAUSE SHE
WOULD BE REQUIRED TO GET
A LICENSE TO DO THAT."
NEIGHBORS POINT TO MCKINNEY'S
EXTENSIVE
CRIMINAL BACKGROUND.
WE CHECKED AND FOUND HER RECORD
INCLUDES
SEVERAL COUNTS OF THEFT, WELFARE
FRAUD AND
INJURY TO AN ELDERLY PERSON WHEN
SHE OPENED
CREDIT ACCOUNTS IN A CLIENT'S
NAME.
MCKINNEY ALSO ONCE OPERATED AN
UNLICENSED ASSISTED LIVING
FACILITY CALLED ZOE'S PLACE ON
BURNET ROAD.
BURNET ROAD.
BUT
BUT THE
BUT THE STATE SHUT IT DOWN IN 2015. SHE SAYS SHE HAS NOTHING TO
HIDE.
SHE ALLOWED OUR CAMERA INSIDE
WHAT SHE CALLS THE
BOARDING HOME.
TO SEE ONLY ONE ROOM.
EVEN ALLOWED US TO TALK TO TWO
OF THE TENANTS.
AS FOR MCKINNEY'S PAST, SHE SAYS
SHE HAS
NOTHING TO HIDE.
"AS FAR AS MY CRIMINAL HISTORY,
SHOPLIFTING, I WAS AN ADDICT. I
SHOPLIFTED TO SUPPORT MY HABIT.
IT'S NO SECRET, I'VE SAID THAT
BEFORE."
LTC: 15:38:40
"JENNI: HOW CAN SOMEONE WITH
YOUR HISTORY BE TRUSTED WITH
PEOPLE'S MONEY? TOMMIE: WITH
WHO'S MONEY? JENNI: WITH THESE
CLIENT'S MONEY. I DON'T TOUCH
ANYBODY'S MONEY. ANY MONEY THAT
COMES
COMES INTO MY HANDS FIRST OF ALL BELONGS TO ME. I DON'T HANDLE ANYBODY'S MONEY."
MCKINNEY SAYS A FAMILY MEMBER OR
THIRD PARTY
PAYS THE RENT FOR HER TENANTS.
MEANTIME, SHE SAYS IS NOW
CONSIDERING MOVING.
BECAUSE SHE DOESN'T WANT TO STAY
WHERE SHE'S NOT
WANTED.
FOR NEIGHBORS LIKE LUDKOWSKI,
SHE'LL BELIEVE
THAT WHEN IT HAPPENS.
JENNI LEE, KVUE NEWS.
COUNCIL MEMBER, LESLIE POOL,
RELEASED A STATEMENT. IT READS IN PART ," I CONVENED A
DISCUSSION
EARLIER THIS MONTH TO BRING ALL
CONCERNED
PARTIES TO THE TABLE TO WORK
THROUGH THE VARIOUS RULES
AND LAWS THAT TEND TO TIE THE
CITY'S HANDS WITH REGARD
TO GROUP HOMES."