"Level Three Slum Offender" Keith Reitman Fares Badly In "Child Falls Out Of A Window AGAIN" Lawsuit, Settles Big Time...

Contributed photo, blog post by John Hoff

Word reaches me there was a settlemen in the "child falls from a slummy Keith Reitman building AGAIN" lawsuit which this blog reported on exclusively, click here for that article.

And the word is "Level Three Slum Offender" Keith Reitman was forced to settle, big time.

What, you may be wondering, is a "Level Three Slum Offender?" I'm glad you asked...


The criteria for determining which slumlords are Level Three is primarily based on three factors.

1.) A record of past harm to the victimized neighborhood.

2.) A continuing course of harm in the present day.

3.) The extent and intensity of the harm to the victimized neighborhood.

4.) The likelihood the slumlord will offend again.

Keith Reitman not only fulfills all the criteria, but he was the reason the criteria were invented in the first place. Recently, Reitman won the "Johnny's next blog obsession" contest, click here, and this blog post right 'ere could be considered the first payment of Reitman's prize.

Though Reitman won the grand prize for his daring interpretation of color and texture in his well known and prominent masterpiece "The Blue Sisters," the beauty of Keith Reitman's work is its ubiquitousness. His buildings are everywhere. Like cockroaches.

Back in June of 2010, I reported on a lawsuit filed against Reitman over a child falling from a window. The trial was subsequently delayed, and I reported on that. In the interest of blogger journalist integrity, I am stating here and now that I was approached by an individual with a stake in the trial who asked me to lay off reporting on this matter, in hopes of a settlement. In the interest of my neighborhood I did just that, but I believe integrity requires me to admit as much now that I'm reporting on the outcome.

I am awaiting more information and details but at this point I'm being told there was a cash settlement of  six figures, not very big figures, but six of them. Some further property inspection may be part of the settlement according to what I'm hearing. This would be exciting if true.

The information I'm getting from my source is cryptic and I'm waiting for more, with details fleshed out and hopefully supporting documents. Initially I was told Reitman "lost" the lawsuit. Well, that may be morally true, even financially true, but legally a settlement is just a settlement and what I'm seeing in online court records is no doubt a SETTLEMENT in which Reitman admits no guilt.

Four dates were set for jury trails, each time the trial was cancelled. There was a motion hearing on April 22, 2011. There was a Petition for Minor Settlement that same day, and an Order for Minor Settlement as well. A notion on 4/25 says "annual, periodic accounting." In May of 2011, there was a stipulation and order for dismissal. A safekeeping account was filed on June 3, on June 8 there was a "processed judgment entry" as well as a "Notice of Dismissal with Prejudice."

A Safekeeping Account was filed (again) on June 21.

Lead attorney for slumlord Keith Reitman was Peter E. Lind. Stacy Shaffer as well as her young child, not named here, were both represented by Paul E. Godlewski.