Greene County Landlords Accused Of Presenting Tenants With Forged Eviction Notice

When you buy a new house without selling the old one, it is easy to imagine how rich you can get by renting out the real estate property that you used to occupy.  Once the tenants move in though, you realize that being a landlord is a lot of work.  It is not passive income like you would get if you sold the house and kept the proceeds in a savings account instead.  When the appliances in your rental property start to go kaput and the walls and roof start needing repair, you learn the hard truth, namely that being a residential landlord is as risky as any small business.  For that amount of work, money, and risk, you might as well open a food truck; at least you would get some good food out of the deal.  Getting out of your landlord gig is even more work than staying in it.  If you want to evict your tenants, you must follow the legal procedures for eviction, which vary according to the reasons for evicting them.  If you are accused of shady dealings related to trying to get tenants to move out of a property that you are renting to them, contact a Pittsburgh white collar crime lawyer.

Pennsylvania Forgery Laws

The crime of forgery occurs if you create or present a fake document, intending for the recipient of the document to believe that it is genuine.  Forgery is a third-degree felony if the falsified document is a fake document that claims to initiate, modify, or terminate a legal relationship.  Examples include contracts, wills, and court orders.  If the forged document is something else, such as a check, then forgery is usually a first-degree misdemeanor.  You can only be convicted of forgery if the prosecution can prove that you meant to mislead the recipient; simply making a fake document does not, by itself, constitute forgery.

In the News

Thomas Medlick owns a rental property in Greene Township.  According to news sources, he has been having problems with the tenants to whom he is renting the property for some time.  He has allegedly tried to keep them out of the property by changing the locks, which is not something that landlords are allowed to do before completing the legal process of eviction.  In October 2022, Medlick and his girlfriend Tiffany Trude allegedly presented the tenants with a forged eviction notice, bearing the forged signature of a judge.  Medlick, 44, and Trude, 36, are facing criminal charges for forgery, trespassing, and tampering with public records. Medlick and Trude were arrested in February 2023, but news reports have not published any additional information about their case.  Medlick is an employee of the Department of Corrections, and he is suspended without pay while his case is pending.

Contact Gary E. Gerson About Financial Crimes

A criminal defense lawyer can represent you in criminal court if you are being accused of financial crimes such as forgery of court documents.  Contact the law offices of Gary E. Gerson in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania about your case.

Sources:

observer-reporter.com/news/localnews/greene-county-couple-charged-with-forging-eviction-notice/article_82381ddc-8dd3-11ed-a4ef-cfcd883240f5.html

wtae.com/article/greene-county-former-employee-forgery-charges/42412559#