So, if The Washington Post calls someone a slumlord, The Times Herald repeats it, and a blogger promotes it, why is it the blogger gets hassled? Well that appears to be happening, or has happened, and well it's just silly, isn't it? To follow is a excerpt and link to the WriteMarsh post, Washington Post articles that reference this guy with his knickers in a twist, and the thing from The Times Herald and then you decide if you think this person hassling Writemarsh is justified, ok? After all what do you call someone who is involved with pieces of real estate that a major metropolitan city is reporting to have 7775 violations in one building, 1384 in another? (Seriously - look at THIS)

Writemarsh: Thursday, October 2, 2008
A Blast From The Recent

I've been sitting on this story for a while...almost a month. I've been quite busy, and I needed to consult with counsel before I reported this to you.

On September 6th, I received an email from former Montgomery County controller, Eric Kretschman. Mr. Kretschman was concerned about a post I made back in April concerning some real estate dealing of his that were reported on by Margaret Gibbons (reporter extraordinaire for the Norristown Times Herald), which was based on an article from the Washington (DC) Post....Mr. Kretschman has asked me to remove the post, and I quote: "...because it is completely inaccurate"....To put the proverbial "icing on the cake", the last paragraph contains a veiled threat, should I not comply with his wishes

Ok, so here is Washington Post article number 1:

Code Violations Plague Owner
Burned Mt. Pleasant Building Not NWJ's Only Troubled D.C. Property
By Debbie Cenziper
Washington Post Staff Writer
Saturday, March 29, 2008; Page A01

The owner of the Mount Pleasant apartment building recently destroyed by a five-alarm fire charged onto the District's real estate scene in 2001 scouting for opportunities.

NWJ Cos., based in Philadelphia, shopped for modest apartment buildings in budding Northwest and Northeast Washington neighborhoods, eager to pierce a thriving housing market. Within months, NWJ bought seven complexes for $15.5 million.

Lawsuits, accusations and widespread housing code violations have hounded the company ever since.

The 85-unit complex in Mount Pleasant that burned two weeks ago had been cited for 7,755 code violations...Company Vice President Eric Kretschman said that NWJ has not violated any laws or mistreated tenants and that he did not recall receiving notices for that many code violations....Three of NWJ's properties have not been sold: two complexes in Northeast and the complex on Ontario Road NW, where on a chilly January morning, doors and windows were unsecured and roaches scampered through apartments. The stairwells smelled of urine, and vagrants had left a crack pipe, empty wine bottle and feces on a crumbling landing.

Washington Post: NWJ Building Purchases
NWJ Cos., based in Philadelphia, started buying apartment buildings in the District in 2001. Lawsuits, allegations and housing code violations followed.

(This next on is food for thought regarding development in general)
Forced Out A Washington Post Investigation

The Last Holdouts
Their Neighbors Left, but the Martinez Women Stood Firm
By Sylvia Moreno
Washington Post Staff Writer
Saturday, April 19, 2008; Page B01

Oh, and last but not least, what the Times Herald said:

Is former county controller Eric S. Kretschman a slum landlord?

That is what newspapers in Washington, D.C., would have you believe.....The building had been cited 7,755 times for code violations, according to the Washington Post....Margaret Gibbons can be reached at or 610-272-2501, ext. 216.

For research purposes, also see:

Reuters,Olympus Captial Group Our Team, affiliates, recent transactions, nwjcompanies.com