Evening star., 1920-02-20
RENT Commission
TURNS DOWN CLAIM
Denies Newman Plea for
Possession of Premises 0c-
cupied by J.F. Thompson.

In the first case heard by the new
District rent commission. that of Otho
L. Newman and wife against Joel
Frank Thompson for possession of
premises 613 Keefer place northwest.
the commission today announced its
decision, dismissing the case.
The commission found that the
plaintiffs. Mr.. and Mrs. Newman. were
not the actual owners of record of
the property at the time the original
notice to vacate was served on the
occupants of the house last Septem-
ber. and that therefore any action be-
fore the commission based on such
notice to yacate could no. be sus-
tanned.
In order to obtain possession of the
house. IT was stated. Mr. Newman, the
owner. will have to serve new no
tice to vacate on the occupant. with
expiration of which period recourse
may be had to the rent commission
or to the courts in new and original
proceedings.
C0mmissiOn Takes Recess.
No sessions of the commission will
be held tomorrow or Monday, the lat
ter being a legal holiday in the Dis
trict Of Columbia, and the commission
held no session or hearings today.
The next cases to be heard will come
up at 10 o'clock next Tuesday morn-
ing, when the complaint of John G.
Hodges against Robert NJ. Bruce, for
possession of premises 1011 E street
northwest. and that of Joseph Ferrero
against Mike Athan, Peter Wells, Jo-
seph Veneziana and Lewis Harris, for
possession of premises III, 7191t and
721 18th street northwest, will be be-
gun.
Substance Of Complaints.
that he has occupied rooms in The
Star annex, where his book bindery
was located: that he has been COM
PEELED to vacate because of alterations
and additions to The Star building;
that he bought the street premises
with the purpose of occupying the
building. and that Bruce, who is pro-
prietor of a barber shop at 1011 E
street. refuses to surrender the prop
erty.
Ferrero in his complaint affirms that
he bought the 14th street properties
June 27 last at court sale, paying
$23S.16 for the ground and buildings,
the price being paid in cash at the
time of the sale. He claims that he
bought the property with the inten-
tion of razing the present buildings
and erecting a model Office building on
the site.
Cites Refusal to Obey Notices.
In his complaint he AYERS that the
four defendants have refused to obey
a court notice to vacate. that they
have ignored the trustees notice to
such order and notice: that they have
refused to heed his own legal notice
to vacate, and that by such refusal
are causing him to lose the interest on
the money he paid for the property and
have caused serious and costly delay
in his building plans.
Seeks Possession of Home.
Crowded into two small rooms, with
his invalid wife, four children and his
wife'S mother, L. Stewart West has
appealed to the District rent commits
sion in an effort to obtain possession
for the use and occupancy of his fam
lily of the house at sos K street north
west. which he told the comm ission he
bought prior to January ! Of this year
to be used as his home.
In his complaint Mr.. West informed
the commission that his wife is suffer
ing from tuberculosis in an advanced
stage. He said the rooms his family
now occupy. at 1922 18th street north
west. are in an eight-room house and
that three other families live there.
The present tenant of the house at
sos K street, bought for home by Mr..
West. he said. occupies the premises
under an ordinary rental agreement
When she. rendered her rent January
/. the complaint said, it was received
and at the same time the tenant, Anna
Wigginton, was given legal notice to
vacate in thirty days This. the COM
plaint sets forth, she has failed and
refused to do.