The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1930-12-06
REALTY firm
IS TARGET OF
LEGAL ACTION
Lawyer Acts to Prevent
Payment by Widow in
Sale of Lots.
BUREAU PROBES DEALS
UnethiCaI Conduct Denied
by H. NJ. Dozier, Head
of Concern.

While an increasing line OF ell
DERBY women, mostly widows,
trudged into the offices of the Bet
ter Business Bureau, Inc, 531 Oc-
cidental building, today, with COM
plants against the Indiana Estates
Company, 601-15 Meridian Life
building, new action, legal and 9TH
rerwise, on the company's operations
WIS reported.
l. H. M. Dozier, head Of the con-
Germ, reiterated his denials OF IN
ethical conduct or any irregularities
on his part or that of his partner,
M. J. O'Keefe.
2. The board of directors of the
Indianapolis Real Estate Board
drafted resolutions commencing
The Times and the Better Business
Bureau for their activities IN re-
vealing the scope of the company
operations.
8. Search of records of similar
real estate operations was started
by better business bureaus in Port
land, Los Angeles, Denver, San
Francisco. st. Louis, Birmingham,
Atlanta. Buffalo, Detroit, Toronto
and othel cities in an effort to INK
operations in those cities with those
in indianapolis.
Legal Steps Planned
a. First preliminary conference
with officials we're under way to
determine the feasibility of a legal
investigation Of the company, its
personnel and operations.
5. Austin v. Clifford Of the firm
Of NIatson, Carter, Ross & McCord,
general attorneys for the bureau,
announced that on behalf of Mrs.
Mary T. Anderson, 9o3 North Della
ware street, one of the compliments
against the concern, he had:
(a) Stopped payment on a trans
fer of $3,25O.06 in shares OF the
Farmers and Mechanics Building
and Loan Association OF Bloomfield
Ind, which she had given the COM
pany Wednesday.
% Petitioned the United States
treasury department at Washington
and the federal reserve bank at st.
Louis to prevent transfer Of $1,000
in United States registered govern
ment bonds, given at the same time.
Co Completed plans to ask pro-
bate court to appoint Grafton An
derson, her son and sole heir, as
her guardian, as preliminary TO
further and complete legal action
against the Indiana Estates Com
pany, their associates and princl-
pals.
Buys Six Lots
Mrs. Anderson, an employe OF the
concern at $3.50 a week, was in
duced to purchase six lots at total
sales price of $10,625, giving there
fore $5,750.06 in cash and securities.
She was told, she said, that
bank was not a safe place to
keep money" and that "a man was
going to build a million dollar
building on the property" therefore
its resale would make her a large
profit.
The Indiana Estates Company oc-
cupies the entire sixth floor Of the
Meridian Life building. It is part
nership, ostensibly composed Of
Dozier and O'Keefe 1t acts as sole
sales agent for lots in the Morn
ingside subdivision, Kessler boule-
ward and Forty-eighth street. 1t
has been in operation since July.
The company obtains services Of
local people to induce their friends
and acquaintance to attend free
luncheon on the property. There
they listen to DoGier, expert psy-
chologist and lecturer, expound the
benefits of real estate as an invest
n1ent. After that they are subject
ed to high pressure" sales meth
DDS, it is charged.
Dozier today reiterated his de-
malls of Objectionable tactics.
He produced an agreement which,
he said, all his statesmen must sign,
and which specifically prohibits any
promises Of resale of property at a
profit as an inducement to buy.