Dubious Wayne County Real Estate Operator Continues Operating Despite Increasing Consumer Complaints, Media Spotlight

In Wayne County, Michigan, WXYZ-TV Channel 7 reports:

• What would you think of a man who rents houses that aren’t fit to live in? He’s well known in Wayne County where he’s taken thousands of dollars from the poor and disabled, for houses without permits to rent. When the city tells them the house has no occupancy permit, the man who took their money for deposits and rent leaves those families homeless, and he’s been doing so for years.



• His name is Leonard Bale. His company is Wolverine Investors. That might sound familiar because in a previous 7 Action News investigation we found Mr. Bale selling houses on land contract that were in some stage of foreclosure.



• Now, we’ve heard from more single mothers who say Bale rented them houses no one can live in.

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• Bale and his company, Wolverine Investors, have hundreds of properties in Wayne County. He offers them on Craig’s list. But people who’ve told us about their experience doing business with Leonard Bale have a warning for you.



• [One victim] says “to everybody out there, please, do not rent a house from Leonard Bale.” [Another] says “do your homework. I thought he was legit.” He ads “I checked with the Better Business Bureau. He had an a plus rating.”



• But after 7 Action News aired our first investigation on Leonard Bale selling houses he knew were in foreclosure, the Better Business Bureau took him off their list of rated companies.



• We’re still hearing from people who feel they’ve been victimized by Leonard Bale, so we’ll stay on this story to follow complaints that have been made to the Wayne County prosecutor and the State attorney general.

For the story, see Tenants say man is renting homes not fit for human habitation.

See also, They thought they were buying homes for their families, but a dream come true has become a nightmare (Many are discovering what they thought was a blessing, has turned into a curse. The homes they thought they were buying are in various stages of foreclosure – and they say the man who sold them, Leonard Bale, never told them).