FAXED TO SAUGERTIES VILLAGE COURT 09/17
Statement on Judicial Misconduct and Consequences of Unlawful Eviction
Re: Unlawful Execution of Warrant of Eviction
Vanessa Harrison v. RUPCO
To the Honorable Judge Rightmyer:
I submit this statement to place on record the unlawful execution of my eviction and the catastrophic consequences of this Court’s failure to safeguard my rights. This Court’s failure to enforce its own order did not just result in a procedural irregularity. It destroyed my business, left me six figures in debt, and directly escalated the abuse I had already disclosed to this Court.
1. Unlawful Execution of the Warrant
The warrant of eviction signed by Justice O’Dell stated clearly: “This warrant is not to be posted or executed before December 31, 2023.” Despite this order, the Ulster County Sheriff’s Office posted the warrant on December 12, 2023 — nineteen days early.
This was a direct violation of the Court’s own order and of RPAPL § 749, which requires tenants be given a 14-day statutory notice period. Had I not removed my belongings under duress, the Sheriff would have executed the warrant and forcibly cleared my store five days before the law even allowed the notice to be posted. The eviction was therefore unlawful and void.
2. Judicial Bias and Attorney Misconduct
I informed my attorney that I believed this Court held a bias against me. That belief was reinforced when:
My attorney engaged in an ex parte conversation with the Court in front of me, excluding me from discussions about my own case.
My attorney privately conferred with opposing counsel, again excluding me.
My attorney acted against my explicit instructions, agreeing to terms I had expressly rejected, including eviction.
This Court did not merely “allow” these irregularities — it actively participated in them.
Following the ex parte conversation, my attorney sat down across from me and told me: “the judge isn’t going to take your side.” To this day, I do not know what transpired during that private discussion. What I do know is that a decision had been made before I ever opened my mouth in court. I was denied the opportunity to present a defense. I was denied the chance to tell my story. And my attorney — who should have defended me — failed to do so.
3. Ignored Evidence and Filings
At no point did the Court consider the catastrophic floods caused by RUPCO’s negligence, which destroyed over $120,000 in inventory and forced me to close my business for an additional two months on top of pandemic shutdowns.
The first flood occurred in June 2020, just six weeks after the pandemic had already closed my store. On the very day restrictions were lifted and other businesses reopened, I walked into my space to find water pouring from the ceiling. I was forced to remain closed an additional month. It was only 10 months later on April 16th that the second flood occurred; both a direct result of RUPCO’s negligence.
Altogether, Meraki was closed five of the first twelve months I was in that space — three months for the pandemic, plus two more from RUPCO’s floods.
The arrears on the rent ledger were inaccurate, including months I had paid, months excused in writing, and months my store was closed.
I filed multiple motions, including a stay — all ignored by this Court.
The Court disregarded both the facts and the filings that should have altered the outcome of this case.
4. Community Impact
Meraki was not just my livelihood — it was a growing, vibrant addition to the Saugerties community. In the short time it was open, it gained a loyal customer base and became a space people valued and returned to. It was a small business that contributed to the vitality of the village’s Main Street and supported the local economy.
I still cannot understand why, in a small town where the survival of local businesses is essential, this Court chose to work against me instead of protecting a tenant who was clearly fighting to preserve her business against extraordinary hardship. The Court’s role should have been to uphold fairness and stability in the community it serves. Instead, its actions destroyed a business that was already overcoming the aftermath of two floods and had every reason to succeed.
5. Consequences of the Court’s Failures
The Court’s failures have not only cost me my business and livelihood, but also placed me in grave danger.
I hand-delivered a letter to the Court disclosing that I was being abused. That letter was ignored. The day following my wrongful eviction, the abuse escalated tenfold. With my independence gone, my abuser knew I had no ability to leave.
Since then, the abuse has grown not only psychological and emotional, but also physical. The same week I was kicked so hard, repeatedly, that I rolled off the bed like a rag doll and smashed my elbow on a concrete floor. I have not been able to move it without screaming in pain for a week. I was also cut off from money for food and gas. I’ve hardly eaten anything in 4 days.
This is the reality of what happens when a court ignores disclosures of abuse, permits ex parte communications, disregards filings, and allows an unlawful eviction to proceed. The Court’s silence did not protect me — it actively enabled my abuser to tighten control to the point of violent domination.
6. Midday Break-In and Criminal Trespass Prior to Eviction
On October 19, 2023, at exactly 12:05 PM, my store’s alarm system was triggered, setting off an “Entry Sensor Back Door” alert at 86 Partition Street, as confirmed by a timestamped notification from my alarm company (see attached). I immediately checked the live security camera feed, which, while only facing the sales floor, allowed me to hear audible movement in the back room.
Saugerties Police responded and encountered an individual on-site who claimed they were “the landlord looking for an apartment.” This explanation was absurd. The location was an active, secured retail store — not a residential unit — and there was no legal or ethical justification for anyone to enter the premises unannounced, without notice, in the middle of a workday, and without my consent.
This was not just an illegal entry — it was an act of intimidation that occurred just five weeks before my unlawful eviction. It exemplifies the broader pattern of harassment, retaliation, and manipulation that has followed me from the moment I became inconvenient to RUPCO’s agenda. This incident should have triggered an investigation — instead, I was evicted.
7. Conclusion
This Court failed me at every critical juncture. It ignored my evidence, tolerated and participated in misconduct, and presided over an eviction executed in violation of its own order. The consequences have been catastrophic, humiliating, and violent.
I respectfully request that the Court:
Vacate the judgment and warrant of eviction as unlawful;
Acknowledge the due process violations that occurred; and
Recognize the severe consequences that flowed directly from its neglect.
Respectfully submitted,
Signature:
Vanessa Harrison
Date: September 16, 2025
Exhibits:
Exhibit A: Warrant signed by Justice O’Dell (showing “not before December 31”).
Exhibit B: Sheriff’s posting dated December 12.
Exhibit C: Screenshot of notification from alarm company when break-in occurred.
unlawful eviction
