This is the case of a "slum lord nightmare" that has been going on for 27 years. The property in question is located at 2745 South Rimpau Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90016. The property is a duplex that now only consists of one tenant whose name I wish to keep annonymous for the protection of her safety. The owner of the property is a Seargent at the Los Angeles International Airport Police Department.
For as long as I can remember, she has been forced to live in conditions that have contributed to a series of health problems that have caused her to be hospitalized twice in the last year.
She has been raided because someone lied and said she was dealing drugs out of her home with her two children at the time, her home has been broken into, she's been threatened and harrassed constantly.
It was not until in the last few years or so that she's suffered a severe case of mildew that has worsened and her health condition is getting worse, and is possibly suffering Osteoporosis as a direct result of the mildew and fumes from bug spray due to the roach, bug and spider problem she has. The way the landlord handled the mildew problem was having poor labored help paint over it with oil base paint.
The heating and insulation is bad. The plumbing is bad and has been poorly fixed. How he handled the problem was using old pipes to replace the damaged pipes caused by the growth of a tree that has grown into the pipelines. Her bathroom toilette leakes water from the basin. How he handled the problem was first replacing the old toilette with another used toilette from another property before eventually putting in a new one, but he never fixed the leak problem at the basin.
Back in the 80's the landlord had built a room to provide the tenant with a third room. He later had gotten angry with her, sealed it up and turned it into a third living quarters. I had taken a real estate course and during that time I conducted some research the revealed that the room had been illegally converted into a third living dwelling, making the landlord an illegal subdivider because he never saught permission to divide the duplex into a triplex.
The landlord's son lives in an illegal dwelling which is located at the far back of the duplex with his girlfriend whom he beats up everyday and all day, and sometimes she has a baby back there with them. The dwelling which they live is poorly insulated, no kitchen facilities, grass is growing from the floor, the ceiling is terribly damaged from mildew, when it rains, the ceiling and walls leak, they run the water all night making it difficult for the front tennant to have hot water sometimes, and they smoke marijuana. The landlord's grandson and his friends (who are not allowed on the premises) trespass on the property all during the night, stealing the front tennants porch lightbulb, smoking marijuana all night, walking on the side of the property, making it impossible for the tennant to sleep. She has not had a good sleep in years and her health is weakening from the changes the property is undergoing.
The son and his girlfriend who live in the back are illegally using the tenant's gas and phone line. The city and health inspectors and the Housing Authorities have gone out to the property and have cited him, giving him set time to bring the property up to code. He refuses to hire professional help. These are a list of what's happened: (1) Hired a junky to put in windows and cut down a tree on the southside of the duplex which has damaged the wall which it had grown into; (2) A window was put in the vacant side and was never completed; (3) the tenant received windows—one in the back room which has not been completed—two in the living room which are smaller and the tenant cannot see out of them—a front window where it is put in improperly with nails sticking out—the window projects have not been complete and she is scared to leave her home; (4) It's been over a month or so since the project has started and the tenant has to constantly spray bug spray to keep the bugs out, and is now fighting with keeping rats out.
The landlord's mentality to the entire situation is "if she doesn't like it she can move, " and "Can't no body make me do anything." Because he's a Sergeant at the the LAX police department. As a direct result of his poor efforts to make the property look nice, the tenants health has suffered greatly and there is no one who will help her. She cannot move because she's on a fixed income and does not have the money to move. And family members are unable to help her. She is not a bad person, and gets along with everyone. Since she's been there, she's experienced nothing but problems after problems. The landlord doesn't respond to phone calls, the lanlord's son and his girlfriend try to manipulate her out of more rent after she's already paid her rent, and the landlord is threatening to raise her rent which is against the law because she's on section 8 and cannot move. He's trying to force her to move and not have anywhere to move to. Please, she needs help. She's called channel 11, channel 5, channel 2 and 4 and is at her wits end and doens't know what else to do.
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