Pregnant Trenton woman released from lease at unsafe house
A pregnant woman trapped by a lease agreement for a house with numerous occupancy violations has left the premises.
Jeimmin Lopez relinquished her security deposit plus $800 to escape her troubles at 1012 Hamilton Ave.
Better to move now then to birth a baby and bring the child home to roaches, water leaks and a house with a malfunctioning heater.
Lopez moved into 1012 Hamilton in August after an agent for property owner 485 Chestnut LLC, agreed to rent her a different house.
Lopez alleged that the landlord used a bait and switch tactic, making a last-minute deal for her to move into 1012 Hamilton Ave.
Lopez, who has twin boys, had minimal choices after plans had been made to leave her former residence.
Lopez allowed a walk through in late October after the electricity failed and the basement heater stopped working.
City officials told The Trentonian that property owner 485 Chestnut LLC had failed to register the house as a rental residence.
No certificate of occupancy meant tenants faced potential danger.
Imagine a landlord who rents an apartment or house without working smoke detectors.
This is serious business and landlords should face serious penalties for such fraudulent behavior.
A city inspection performed at 1012 Hamilton Ave. on October 31 detailed approximately 50 violations or improvements necessary to maintain rental status.
Lopez said 485 Chestnut LLC made no repairs although inspectors had stated fixing a litany of house problems served as a prerequisite for remaining a legitimate rental residence.
A copy of the city inspection report identified a “defective fridge,” demanded a removal of numerous potential fire fueling items in the basement abandoned by previous tenants, identified a water leak in the cellar and a outdoor faucet.
Furthermore, the inspector noted numerous electrical issues throughout the house, including a basement which showed a network of exposed wires.
In an item listed as “certifications required”, a city inspector requested 485 Chestnut LLC hire a licensed contractor “indicating the current condition” of the heater and chimney.
There were “loose and hanging wires and open junction boxes.” Cover panels were missing for electrical boxes on a basement heater, plus, “light fixture problems in Bedroom 1, cellar and attic.”
A laughable request for dissolution of her contract with 485 Chestnut LLC required that Lopez “leaves the property in the condition it was found.”
There should have been an option to have the building blown up by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers or Trenton Fire Department to use the house for firefighting training.
Maria Juega, former executive director for Latino American Legal Defense and Education Fund (LALDEF) described 1012 Hamilton as “the tip of the iceberg.”
“Everybody knows it’s going on, it’s no secret to anybody,” Juega, in a previous article, said.
The house at 1012 Hamilton Ave. no longer exists as secret, no longer “flys under the radar” as Juega defined these insidious rental properties that exist wherever immigrants and poor people seek adequate shelter.
If city officials allow 485 Chestnut LLC to hustle another tenant into this property then an immediate inspection of the city’s inspection department sounds appropriate.