I am writing this letter because I have been scammed and victimized by my landlord, and I want to make sure that other persons seeking an apartment in Oak Park do not make the same mistake that I did, and rent property from this con-artist woman.
In September, I rented a one-bedroom apartment, for $750/month, in the upstairs of a house on the 100 block of South Grove Avenue, in Oak Park. The house is owned by a woman named Karen Browne. She rented it to me promising that all necessary repairs would be made to the unit within a month's time. At the time, the kitchen, bathroom, and sun room needed new flooring, the back fire escape needed to be rebuilt, and the plumbing in the bathroom and kitchen needed to be repaired due to leaks.
The neighborhood was excellent, and the apartment was spacious, so I agreed to rent it despite the work that needed to be done. Over the next several months, Ms. Browne never followed through on her promises to make repairs. She ceased returning phone calls or answering emails. I sent my rent check on time each month, but 3-6 weeks would pass before she'd deposit it. I grew increasingly concerned, and the problems with the apartment multiplied.
Soon, overhead light fixtures ceased to work. (It wasn't a matter of merely changing the light bulbs; the actual wiring needed to be replaced.) The plumbing in the bathroom became problematic. My shower fixture broke, and I had to wash my hair in the kitchen sink, or by filling the bathtub and dumping pans of water over my head. The walls in my bedroom became infested with squirrels and mice. She ceased all snow removal and lawn care service. The door to my garage stopped closing, and was not repaired until the Village cited Ms. Browne. I could list more problems, but suffice it to say, the place grew increasingly uninhabitable.
I chose to stay living in my apartment because I loved my location.
The neighborhood was safe, my neighbors were nice people, and I was close to everything I needed: the train station, the grocery store, the library, and etc. Whenever a problem occurred in my apartment, I reported it to Ms. Browne right away, and each month, I paid my rent on time.
Finally, near the New Year I got fed up. Ms. Browne had promised to send repairmen, but never followed through. Moreover, she had received 2 months' rent checks from me, and never deposited them. When I confronted her on the telephone, she tried to claim that she had never received my check for January, then told me she would have to call me back which, of course, she never did.
In February, I called the Village of Oak Park to request assistance with getting repairs made to my apartment. They sent a building inspector, who determined that the building had a plethora of code violations (not only in my unit, but in the common areas as well) that needed immediate repair. The inspector informed me that Ms. Browne would be cited by the Village, and would have until March 15, to make the necessary repairs, or would be fined accordingly.
Time passed and the repairs were never made. Evidently, during that time, Ms. Browne moved and never gave a forwarding address to her tenants. We were instructed to leave our rent checks in the vestibule for her to pick up. The checks sat in the vestibule for nearly a month before they were taken.
I contacted the Village of Oak Park after March 15th, but was informed that the building inspector who'd handled my case had been laid off, and that someone else would need to follow-up with me. The gentleman I spoke to said that he had talked to Ms. Browne, and that she planned on making the repairs to my apartment on the weekend of March 27-29th.
On Friday, March 27th, I received an email from Ms. Browne.in the message, she stated that her mail had been held at her old residence, and she had just received all communication from me. She then told me that I had 30 days to vacate the property, because she planned on having a family member move in.
That weekend, nobody came to make any repairs. On Sunday, March 29th, around 10:00pm, I was in bed asleep, when I heard someone unlock the front door to my apartment and attempt to come inside. Fortunately, I had put the safety chain on the door, so the person was not able to enter. (For the record, nobody but myself and Ms. Browne has a set of keys to the apartment.) I looked out my bedroom window, and recognized Ms. Browne's car on the street. I waited a bit until I heard her leave the building, then went downstairs. She had taped a termination notice to my door.
In speaking with the Village of Oak Park, I was informed that it is illegal for landlords to evict a tenant because he/she reported maintenance failures.By March however, I was on a month-to-month rental agreement with Ms. Browne, and already actively seeking a new apartment. I am not sure of my legal rights, because I am not on a formal lease, and have decided not to pursue legal action anyhow, because it's in my best interest to find a different apartment, with a better rental price and a more responsible landlord.
I am sending this letter to all available sources of information for the Oak Park area, because I want prospective renters to know about this woman, Karen Browne. I've been told she owns multiple properties in Oak Park and Chicago, and that other tenants have had similar problems with her. She is the classic definition of a slum lord, and does nothing to maintain her properties or the safety of her tenants and if you try to take action against her, she will evict you.
Please pass this information along to the appropriate personnel leasing agents, classified ad directors, or anyone else who might be able to spread the word about this woman. She cannot be trusted, and nobody should rent from her! Oak Park is a wonderful community with many housing options, and its residents deserve better than having to deal with landlords like Karen Browne.
Oakparkfyi
Oak Park, Illinois
U.S.A.
0 comments