The City of St. Louis has brought a lawsuit against six Missouri residents who it says are running a 鈥� one that involves 39 properties in nearly every neighborhood in south city. Neighbors and those paying rent say Dara Daugherty leads the enterprise.
鈥淚t's pretty obvious she's running a criminal operation,鈥� said Tower Grove East resident Joe Goodman, who lives near two of Daugherty鈥檚 rental properties. One, on Virginia Avenue, was condemned in December.
Attorneys with the City Counselor's Office say the defendants preyed on vulnerable people by and in properties without permits to serve as rooming houses. Their lawsuit mentions Daugherty鈥檚 suing for nonpayment, even though she had no legal right to collect rent from rooming house tenants.
Goodman helps run the Tower Grove East Community Garden at Sidney Street and Virginia. He said that he and other neighbors installed a food pantry in the garden with Daugherty鈥檚 tenants in mind.
鈥淸We] just want[ed] to make sure they were eating. We had a clothes rack in wintertime for them as well,鈥� he said. 鈥淭hey鈥檙e down on their luck. I think a lot of them would have been homeless if they weren't living in one of Dara鈥檚 properties.鈥�
Goodman joined Thursday鈥檚 St. Louis on the Air alongside Riverfront Times . Krull鈥檚 reporting on the illegal operation uncovered details about how the operation may have been , why it took so long for and the effect the lawsuit may have on other problem landlords operating in St. Louis.
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