The Washington times., 1924-12-01
TENANT DENIED.
LEVAT0R FOR
MOVING
Mrs. Vernon Dorman Forced
to Use Fire Escape After
Tilt With Low
BY JOSEPHINE TIGHE.


three years tenant at Clifton
Terrace Apartments, addressed
the 100 tenants who attended the
meeting. Saturday night, Of the
District Tenants League In Cen.
trail High School Auditorium, she
gave a spirited little speech indi-
eating that she was pretty full Of
her subject and very familiar with
it. She was vigorously applauded.
Mrs. Dorman announced that
although she had recently become
a home owner she was with the
tenants to the last breath of her
life"
But what she failed to tell the
assembled renters" was that some
hours earlier in the day, as she
attempted TO move from Clifton
Terrace to her newly purchased
house at 1917 Buchanan street, an
argument took place between her
and the manager of the apartments,
Joseph Low, which resulted in the
lady's household effects being
moved from the apartment house
via the fire escape exit, while a
policeman sailed about apparently
unconcerned but actually very
alert.
Three years ago, an apartment
consisting of one room, bath and
kitchenette,, and located on 9 court,
was rented to Mr.. and Mrs Dor
man at a monthly rental of S57.
The tenants just vacating it NOV
ing to a SUMMER apartment on the
floor above, had pad $40 per
month, but the Dormans did not
find this out until later.
And for three years, after max
ing futile appeals to the rent COM
mission and to the often-changing
owners Of Clifton Terrace for a
decrease in rent, the Dormans were
forced to purchase their own home.
The latter part of November. Mr..
Dorman, former navy officer,
now an official in a local bank,
sent a check to the management
of Clifton Terrace. for payment OF
rent to December /. and notice
that the telephone bill, beyond the
stipulated charge of 81 per month,
should be sent to his new residence.
Saturday morning, with three
more days to go, as far as paidsup
rental was concerned, Mrs. Dorman
succeeded after several attempts
in locating a drayman who could
give her just one hour to move her
stuff consisting of one large load.
The effects were piled upon the
freight elevator and Mrs. Dorman
was about to leave, intending to
return later in the day to look
after several articles of furniture
which were to go to her mothers
home, when the janitor demanded
that she turn over to him the key
of her apartment and $1.S5 tele-
phone charges.
Mrs Dorman spunkily replied
that as she had not finished with
the apartment, had several more
telephone calls to make before her
time was up, December /, she
would not deliver the key or pay
the $1.S5, especially as the janitor
had no itemized bill, or any sort
of a bill, from the management.
With that, the janitor told the
Indignant tenant that he had been
ordered not to run the freight ele-
vator. Mrs. Do~Inan appealed TO
the draymen, who said they were
unfamiliar with the lift Mrs
Dorman then went to the lobby
office of the apartments. and APP
pealed to Mr.. Low to have the
janitor run the elevator down into
| the basement where there are ar
engagements for loading and unload,
| ing vans He refused and the
verbal engagement waxed so hot that
Mrs. Dorman finally telephoned for
| policeman, who. when he ar.
| rived, told her that 1t was beyond
his jurisdiction to order the lift to
be operated. and that she had bet.
ter order her men to uppack the
freight elevator and take the stuff
out the front door.
But permission to use the front
entrance was refused and the dray-
men were forced to carry the over
stuffed and heavy household goods
| down two winding flights of iron
fire exit stairway, less than twenty.
nine inches wide, and through a
narrow fire exit door in the base.
ment. And all the time the police
man stood by.
The moving men were detained
three hours instead of the one al.
loted hour and Mrs. Dorman will
have to foot the bill. Mr.. Low
carried out his intention not to
permit three-year tenant the use
of the freight elevator when NOV,
ing. Mrs. Dorman is now a home.
owner but, as she emphasized in
her talk before the Tenants
League Saturday night, she is with
the tenants to the last breath of
her life" And she is still in pos
session of the keys of her apart
ment at Clifton Terrace.