Bucks DA Makes History With Consumer Law Suit Against Dublin Slumlords

The eight-room apartment building at 113 S. Main Street in Dublin Borough became the centerpiece of a legal precedent Monday when Khan announced the civil enforcement action against the Goetter brothers and their business entity, R & R Enterprises. The complaint alleges the defendants operated a calculated business model that profited by forcing vulnerable, low-income tenants to choose between unsafe housing or homelessness—a practice that persisted for more than 10 years despite mounting evidence of dangerous conditions. Records show the building's decay began years ago. Code enforcement documents dating to April 2013 first flagged the absence of functional heat. Subsequent inspections revealed black mold in bathrooms, rotted porches, blocked emergency exits, non-functional smoke detectors, and widespread structural hazards. Despite repeated citations, the property deteriorated unchecked until Dublin Borough officials condemned it on April 13, 2026, forcing six tenants from their homes. Khan's decision to pursue civil action rather than criminal charges represents a strategic pivot in tenant protection. "Our complaint alleges these defendants used a pattern of deceptive and unfair conditions to demand rent from these tenants for apartments that didn't meet even the most basic health and safety measures required by Pennsylvania law," said Elizabeth Oquendo, assistant district attorney for Bucks County. The consumer protection law, traditionally applied to opioid and vape manufacturers, has rarely been deployed in rental housing disputes—making this action potentially transformative statewide. The lawsuit seeks full restitution of rent paid by all six tenants, civil penalties against the landlords, and an injunction preventing them from owning rental properties in the future. Bucks County Human Services and the Co-Responder Program secured alternative housing for the displaced residents immediately after the building's condemnation. Khan framed the lawsuit as a warning to other landlords: "This consumer protection law gives us the ability to bring civil enforcement actions against anybody who will cheat people in Bucks County."