BLEAK HOUSE
Bitter about Bellington: Thank you so much for this article ["House Trap," Nicholas Phillips]. I cannot understand how Bellington is allowed to continue in business.
I can tell you that if you are unlucky enough to rent from them, you will pay your rent to the bank, but the bank has no power. When (and not if) Bellington fails to pay the utility and trash bills, the people at the bank are no help. Actually calling the Bellington offices about something is really one of the most bizarre and surreal experiences one could experience. The lies are told so quickly and in such profusion from every person you speak with. I do not know how any of those people sleep at night.
Nor do I understand the strange breed of human who will say things like, "Oh, we just forgot to pay the $30,000 gas bill, it will be right back on," and then install an electric water heater instead. Or have the Bellington handymen go around trying to pick up the trash from Dumpsters — until the Dumpsters are taken away!
The situation is very bleak. The banks don't want the rents from the properties; they want to sell the properties. Taking over the properties is not an option. The different cities really have no power in the situation. The people who live and work in these buildings are the ones who lose.
I hope the personal assets of Litz and Fox are seized and sold to help repay all the suffering their greed has created. And both of them, and probably some of these bankers, belong in jail.
Citizen, via the Internet
Throw the book: Bellington is a crook! My husband and I rented from them. Promises were made and never kept. Serious things went wrong with the property and were never fixed. We had a professional cleaning crew go through the house. It looked better than when we left it, but they fabricated that things were wrong and slapped us with a bill.
They are criminals, and I'm glad they are getting investigated by the FBI. Thank God we just rented from them. I feel for the poor people that thought they were buying their homes from them. I hope they throw the book at them!
Jody McGowen, via the Internet
Small comfort: I find it interesting that Michael Litz says he could have screwed the banks by filing bankruptcy, but he didn't. Shoot, filing for bankruptcy would have saved all the victims' houses or at least bought us some time. I guess I shouldn't be surprised that Litz doesn't give a damn about all the people he made homeless.
I do find some solace in the fact that he may soon lose his house, too, but he apparently is just funneling all his current business funds to save it. Beware if you deal with this man!
Bellington Victims
Fair-weather friends: I wish the thousands of people who were able to own their own homes with Michael Litz's help would comment here. I rented from Bellington for a year and had a great experience. On top of that, I have personally witnessed Litz's generosity to charities in St. Louis. He never turned a charity down that asked him for help.
It's sad to see so many people turning their back on him before the courts have judged him.
Supporter, via the Internet
The root of their evil: I have no sympathy for Bellington. It purchased a condo in my association at a tremendous discount and had several opportunities to sell it at a good profit, but the company became greedy, rented it in violation of condo declaration and bylaws and then let it sit and deteriorate for two years until it sold.
They appear to be the "entitled" class, where they presume they never have to take a loss.
Stevey35b, via the Internet
Blame the journalist: That's all ya got, Nick? Really? Well, hell, it sounds like they didn't do anything wrong. Sounds like you want to throw them a party.
This story is a pathetic representation of the real corruption that was/is taking place.
Disgusted, via the Internet
