Managers Defend Stand On Evictions

For the second consecutive week, the Cambridge City Council last night held a public hearing on the issue of tenant evictions in a local federally-funded housing project--this time to hear the management's side of controversy.

When tenants of the fresh Pond Apartments--commonly known as Rindge Towers--came to last week's council meeting to complain that they were being unjustly forced out of their apartments, Jason J. Timmons, executive vice-president of the Federal Management Co., which runs the apartment complex, was absent because of illness.

But Timmons last night defended his company from the tenants' accusations. "This is normal business, and we have a job to do," he said. "When a person doesn't pay his rent, we have to evict him."

Timmons said that only five tenants had been forcefully evicted while six moved out voluntarily. Rindge Towers has 504 rental units.

The controversy over the evictions, all for non-payment of rent, arose when Timmons took over as manger of Rindge Towers in October and started to enforce prompt rent collections.

Many of the building's tenants are Haitian or Hispanic who speak little English, and several city councilor expressed concern that possible racial discrimination or lack of communication were the causes of the evictions.

Councilor Sandra Graham, a strong advocate of minority rights, has charged that the company did not stop court proceedings against minority tenants who, under threat of eviction, paid their rents.

Ronald L. Pulito, the company's treasurer, justified the evictions by explaining. "We are a professional firm. Our main concern is providing good living quarters, and to do this we pursue rent collections."