THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT 
              Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: Saturday, July 15, 1995                TAG: 9507150339
SECTION: LOCAL                    PAGE: B1   EDITION: FINAL 
SOURCE: BY ANGELITA PLEMMER, STAFF WRITER 
DATELINE: PORTSMOUTH                         LENGTH: Medium:   83 lines

STOLEN FRAMES LEAD TO EVICTION THREATS AFTER PARTS WERE TAKEN FROM THEIR WINDOWS, IDA BARBOUR RESIDENTS WERE TOLD TO PAY UP, OR MOVE.

After 18 years of living in Ida Barbour public housing community with her three children, Sherrie Edwards took pride that she had never been late with her rent. She considered herself an ideal tenant who followed the rules.

But on Thursday, Edwards was confronted with an ultimatum: Pay for an $11.50 aluminum window frame stolen from her home last month or face eviction from her modest three-bedroom apartment.

According to the neatly typed ``PAY UP OR MOVE NOTICE'' she received in the mail from her landlord - the Portsmouth Redevelopment and Housing Authority - Edwards would have 14 days to pay for the frame's replacement or move out of her home. The notice was dated July 10.

``It's not much money, but it's just the principle,'' said Edwards, a 39-year-old housekeeping employee at Portsmouth Naval Hospital. ``I don't think we should be responsible for what someone else did.''

Police caught the culprit on June 7. Tanya D. Jones, 28, was trying to flee with a cart full of aluminum frames, pilfered from Edwards and 11 other residents.

Jones, who pled guilty to 12 counts of petit larceny Thursday, was sentenced to 30 days in jail with 25 days suspended for each charge. She will serve a total of 60 days. Jones also was ordered to make restitution.

Despite Jones' arrest and conviction, Edwards and at least one other Ida Barbour resident, Loretta Matthews, faced the prospect of eviction if they didn't pay for the frames. On Thursday, Edwards paid the housing authority for the frame.

On Friday, the housing authority had a change of heart after a Portsmouth prosecutor and a newspaper reporter called the agency to ask questions about the case. That's when Edwards and Matthews learned they would not have to pay for the frames after all - and they no longer faced eviction.

``I was concerned that the victims not suffer,'' said Assistant Commonwealth's Attorney Mike Massie, who prosecuted Jones. ``We have to ensure that the victims aren't further victimized.''

PRHA officials said the eviction notices were an oversight and they weren't aware of the June 7 thefts until recently.

``We weren't even aware of it until last Thursday or Friday that anyone had been caught with the screens,'' said Eugene Lamb, director of housing management. ``Everyone will be given credit for any of the screens that were stolen.''

The letters residents received, Lamb said, were standard notices mailed when residents have delinquent accounts.

The mother of two children, Matthews, who is married to a construction worker, received an eviction notice after failing to pay $23 to replace two stolen frames.

``I thought if I don't pay by the 24th, they'll have my mess out on the street for $23,'' Matthews said Thursday before learning she would not be evicted. ``I feel like they put a burden on my family because we had to dig deeper into our pockets.''

Edwards, who fretted over her eviction notice most of the week, said she is still upset about the incident. ``I'm still mad. . . . We shouldn't have gotten the letter,'' she said. ``It threw me for a loop.''

Edwards said she told PRHA officials about the theft after it occurred and complained about the charges when she received her bill this month.

``When it first happened and I called to report that my window screen was missing out of my window. . . . I was told we should have been watching our window screens,'' she said.

Edwards said PRHA officials first told her not to pay the charge, then told her to pay it. She also was told to write a letter stating why she shouldn't be forced to pay the fee. Edwards was then told to obtain a police report citing the incident. Later, she was informed that she might have to pay an additional $18 late charge.

``I don't need the aggravation,'' Edwards said. ``We can't win for losing.'' ILLUSTRATION: [Color Photo]

MARK MITCHELL

Staff

The Portsmouth Redevelopment and Housing Authority says the letters

were mistakenly sent to Loretta Matthews, left, and Sherrie

Edwards.

by CNB