From NY1:
In a duplex in Jamaica, Queens, two families are still enduring damage from Hurricane Sandy.
"It's horrible no one should have to live like this," said renter Natasha Francis. "I feel like the hurricane is in my home."
Her building's second floor, which had been leaking since the storm hit on October 29, finally collapsed after Friday's rain and wind. Francis was left with soggy floors, ruined furniture, mold in a daughter's bedroom and constant scrubbing with bleach with little result.
The landlord told her he cannot afford to make repairs.
"I'm upset. I'm angry, because I've spoken to my landlord about this and now it's gotten so worse and now it's unliveable. I can't live here with my kids," Francis said.
Downstairs, Khaleeda Khan's family said they fear they will soon see damages. By Saturday night, their ceiling was cracking above the Christmas tree, so the decorations were coming down.
"It's not the Christmas I imagined," Khan said. "I did all my shopping, all the preparations to have a good Christmas for my kids, my family and we're not going to have it."
5 comments:
How com this house is not condemend since the second floor collapsed?
The tenants are in serious danger and should leave.
Stop being invisible people!
DO NOT SUFFER IN SILENCE! IT IS NOT YOUR FAULT. THE SYSTEM HAS FAILED YOU!
Write to the Queens weeklies. Call the TV action desk. Start a blog. Get organized with others in your plight.
Ask your electeds publicly what they are doing. Ask them why the system is good at building but failed at taking care of the people. Ask them why your suffering is invisible to them since they still want to build on the waterfront.
Buildings don't vote. You do. If they want to take care of creating more buildings while dumping on you, remember that on election day.
I've been in that same spot.
I DECIDED to pay for the repairs myself...then held back my rent money and put into an escrow account.
And that was that.
My greedy landlord DID NOT even attempt to take me to court. That would have cost him more money since HE had to take the first $$$$$ step.
There is such a thing as "the warrant of habitability" in NYC that a landlord is subject to.
I've always maintained a renter's insurance policyo n my apartment.
That has covered me a few times. It was a nominal premium that I paid and well worth it.
The structural damage is the landlords responsibility. Why can't he afford the repairs? If he has a mortgage on the building, he is required to have insurance. If he doesn't have a mortgage, he can afford the repairs. Either way, the landlord should have the building taken from him.
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