SPOA Housing Policy Series, Episode 20: Tenant Identity Fraud
We are pleased to release Episode 20 of SPOA Housing Policy Series, which is called "Tenant Identity Fraud."
"We live in a time when if you make it easy for someone to steal from you, someone will." -- Frank Abagnale
This quote applies to the story of small property owner, Tasso Athanasopoulos, from Lynn, Massachusetts. But theft is not always financial. In this case, Tasso was robbed of his dignity by the tenant who lived upstairs, while Tasso lived on the first floor, running his business as a dentist. Tasso kept the rent below market for years, while showing his tenant respect.
When Tasso received the news that his mother was diagnosed with dementia, and when he informed the tenant that he needed the apartment back so that he could move in both of his parents to take care of them, the tenant refused to leave, which forced Tasso to the eviction process.
During the eviction, it was discovered that the tenant committed identity fraud, using a series of false names. Although this act is illegal, calling for the immediate termination of any lease, the eviction process only dragged on even longer for a total of four years!
In the end, Tasso was denied the opportunity to be with his mother, and to take care of her, when she died. He also had to tolerate what had been a continued pattern of verbal abuse from his tenant, whose real name turned out to be Celeste Cohen, during and after his mother's death, far away from her son.
Along with Tasso, we will speak to his attorney, Jordana Greenman, and news reporter, Scott Van Voorhis, who edits the independent newspaper Contrarian Boston. Scott will join us later in the conversation with his own set of questions.
We will also hear why Tasso no longer wishes to be a rental housing provider and why he would rather keep his upstairs apartment empty than take the risk of renting to anyone ever again.
At a time when renters need more housing in Massachusetts, amid a housing shortage, what can be done to reverse this trend, so that all the kind and conscientious property owners don't get chased out of the business?
SPOA Vice President, Amir Shahsavari, moderates the discussion.
