A couple living at the Arbor Village Mobile Home Park in Douglasville decided they’d Better Call Harry after they fell behind on their rent and the property manager shut off their water.
According to Erin Willoughby of Atlanta Legal Aid, “Under Georgia law, it is illegal for a landlord to knowingly interfere with your utility services and it’s actually punishable by a $500 fine.”
Harry accompanied Amanda Bartlett and Vincent Burdett to court for an eviction hearing, where the judge ordered the water turned back on, and also gave the couple time to vacate the home.
While investigating this story, Harry uncovered a larger issue involving that property manager. Bartlett says that Kristopher Travitz once tried to get into her home to fix a blind that wasn’t broken.
“He was trying to force his way in, and he kept saying it had to be fixed and we couldn’t say no,” said Bartlett.
What Bartlett and the other residents at Arbor Village didn’t know is that Travitz is a registered sex offender. The former Cobb County deputy was convicted of sexually assaulting female inmates.
Harry asked Travitz following the eviction hearing whether Travitz should tell the tenants of his status. After saying he had no comment, Travitz added, “Do your homework first.”
Harry did his homework and learned that Travitz never informed Douglas County authorities about his place of employment. Besides having keys to the homes, Travitz has been working less than one thousand feet from a daycare and two churches.
After hearing about this, the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office responded immediately. Travitz no longer works at Arbor Village, and if he returns, he’ll be arrested.
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