State Rep. Bettie Cook Scott $20K behind in rent, battles eviction
DETROIT (WJBK) - State Rep. Bettie Cook-Scott has used so many addresses over the years it's tough to tell where she really lives.
But since Problem Solver M.L. Elrick started investigating, the Detroit Democrat has settled into a co-op apartment - which created a new problem: her landlord wants her out.
Bettie Cook-Scott's eviction case was back in court, but the Detroit lawmaker was not there - don't worry, she's alive and well.
She was, presumably, in the house - but not:
-The house in Lexington (the town in Sanilac County where she claimed to live last year when she ran for office in Detroit)
-The house in Detroit, where she also claimed to live (which is just outside the district where she ran for office)
-Nor the house in Detroit, which she used to claim as her residence (until it burned down a couple years ago).
Instead, this house: the Michigan House of Representatives, where the Democrat represents the good people of Detroit and Grosse Pointe who live in the Second District.
In fact, the right honorable Cook-Scott no longer claims to live in a house, she says she lives in a co-op unit in the Second District, but her landlord wants her out, claiming that she owes a tidy sum.
"Not including legal fees, about $25, 000," said Don Dilloway.
The case was headed to trial, the landlord wanting Cook out and Cook claiming the co-op was out to railroad her. The judge urged the sides to settle, which they did.
"I think it's a reasonable resolution, we came reasonably close to what we believe she owed," said Mark Wasvary, the landlord's attorney. "And the property needs some money, because we hadn't received any payment from her in years."
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Cook-Scott has 14 days to fork over $20,000, but her landlord still isn't happy.
"It would have been nice to get her out of there, because I know she's going to be a pain in the neck," said Dilloway.
Elrick: "You now have a state lawmaker who is a tenant in good standing. That's got to feel pretty good, right?"
"Not really, she's a handful to deal with," Dilloway said.
Elrick: "You've got her check, but she doesn't have your vote."
"No, no way," Dilloway said.
Twenty-thousand is a lot to pay to stay in such modest digs but perhaps it's worth it for the representative to put questions about her residency to rest.
"Currently we believe her son is back living there," Dilloway said.
Elrick: "So where do you think she's staying?"
"I haven't got any idea," Dilloway said.
Elrick: "You haven't seen her there recently?"
"The only thing I’ve seen there is the car that her son usually drives," Dilloway said. "So I'm going to surmise that maybe she's not living there."
So after this case has spent months working its way through court, it's finally over - or is it?