By ZEINAB NAJM
Times-Herald Newspapers
DEARBORN — A house in the 1400 block of Hollywood serving as a group home abruptly closed July 2 after the city found violations at the business.
The violation notice posted on the door had “the property must be inspected by the city” and “cannot run a business from a residence” checked off with a scheduled followup date of July 15.
A note left on the notice stated it was illegal to occupy the property.
WXYZ Channel 7 reported that the home is not listed by the state Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs as having a license and that a spokesperson told them all group homes need a license to operate depending on the services they provide.
The Police Department was contacted by Channel 7 for comment, but did not hear back. Calls to the owner’s phone revealed that his phone number was disconnected.
Derrick Kirk had his mother — who needs around the clock medical supervision for a terminal illness — at the house after referrals led him and his siblings to the group home in May.
Kirk told Channel 7 he paid the man running the group home about $1,000 in cash monthly, got hand-written receipts his mother’s care and transportation to appointments. He said the owner was friendly, staff members wore scrub outfits and medical equipment was present in the house.
“He made us believe and think that everything was OK,” Kirk told Channel 7. “And we had no reason to believe or think anything other than what he was telling us.”
Kirk’s mother is now staying with his brother.
“She had an issue with being left alone and sometime she would be left alone to care for the other patients,” Kirk said. “(The owner) assured us everything was OK, he just had to step out for a second.”
As advice to others, Kirk warned others to check everything they can before signing up for a group home similar to one his mother spent time at.
Neighbor Robert Ringle told Channel 7 that the owner moved in the middle of the night, and there had been a lot of chaos coming from the house which patients had to leave on July 2.
“It’s been a nightmare,” Ringle said. “There were three people, I believe, inside from this morning. There was a quadriplegic in there.”
(Zeinab Najm can be reached at [email protected])