A group of recently-evicted residents of a downtown home beset by drug raids returned to retrieve their belongings Friday. They may have committed a crime in the process \u2014 a man representing the property\u2019s owner had already boarded the home up and told them to stay away.<\/p>\n
At noon Friday, the Empire witnessed one of the residents kick through the plywood-covered doorway before he and others pulled belongings out of the house.<\/p>\n
The three men, who were later joined by a woman, declined to comment on the situation. One said, \u201cWe\u2019re really stressed out right now. You\u2019re trying to do your job, let us do ours.\u201d Others used more profane language.<\/p>\n
The men pulled various furniture out of the house, piling everything in a U-Haul truck in the driveway. One of the men claimed to have paperwork and permission to enter the home.<\/p>\n
Breffni Place Properties owns the building; Dave D\u2019amato has power of attorney for the company and traveled to Juneau this week to evict the home\u2019s residents, who hadn\u2019t been paying rent. The Empire was on the phone with D\u2019amato when the unidentified man broke into the house.<\/p>\n
\u201cHang up and call the police \u2026 they\u2019re breaking in, you\u2019re watching a crime right now,\u201d D\u2019amato said. D\u2019amato then contacted JPD, who arrived on scene five minutes later.<\/p>\n
Juneau Police Department didn\u2019t make an arrest at the home, located at 423 Fourth St., but they did handcuff one visibly agitated man in the driveway, releasing him after he calmed down.<\/p>\n
Charges could be forthcoming as the investigation continues, responding officer Chris Gifford said.<\/p>\n
Breffni Place Properties, owned by Kathleen Barrett, could press charges. Last week, they had received a court order, called a writ of assistance, to keep any former residents away from the house. D\u2019amato disputes that the group of former residents had legal permission to enter the home.<\/p>\n
On Wednesday, JPD had assisted D\u2019amato in informing the residents of their eviction. JPD and D\u2019amato \u201cbasically told people in there they were being evicted and had to leave,\u201d JPD Sergeant Krag Campbell said.<\/p>\n
Reached by phone on Friday, D\u2019amato said he traveled to Juneau this week to evict the 423 Fourth Street\u2019s residents and board up its windows and doors. He said he gave residents of the property two five-hour periods to remove their belongings on Wednesday and Thursday.<\/p>\n
D\u2019amato also installed concrete barriers to keep people from parking at the Bergmann Hotel, which Breffni Properties also owns. Breffni Properties owns the house next to 423 Fourth St. and has boarded that house up as well.<\/p>\n
\u201cEvery access point where bricks and mortar could enable people who are doing drugs or who are engaging in other bad or illegal activity has now been boarded up by Breffni Place Properties,\u201d D\u2019amato said.<\/p>\n
On Thursday, D\u2019amato said he was contacted by former residents, who told him they had received legal permission from James Barrett, the son of Breffni Place Properties owner Kathleen Barrett, to reenter the property and claim their remaining belongings.<\/p>\n
\u201cBreffni Place Properties has nothing to do with James Barrett,\u201d D\u2019amato said. \u201cHe was letting people in and doing it in a fraudulent way.\u201d<\/p>\n
James Barrett couldn\u2019t be reached for comment. Kathleen Barrett lives in Seattle and has battled cancer for seven years, D\u2019amato said.<\/p>\n
Three buildings owned by Breffni Place Properties, each of them rental properties, have been subject to three police raids in the past six weeks. Neighbors had complained about suspected drug use and prostitution at one of the homes.<\/p>\n