East New York tenants say landlord bullied them, ignored complaints, left apartments in disrepair
Sharon Hillman, who lives in the rent-stabilized building on Van Siclen Avenue, says water has been backing up into her bathtub from the drain.
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Tenants in an East New York apartment building say they’ve been living with leaks, rodents and plumbing issues for years, and their landlord still hasn’t fixed them.
Sharon Hillman, who lives in the rent-stabilized building on Van Siclen Avenue, says water has been backing up into her bathtub from the drain.
“I’m literally scooping out water, pouring it into my toilet in order for me to take a shower,” she said.
Hillman, who is up to date on her rent, says she can’t use her bathroom sink either.
“My kids and I brush our teeth in the kitchen sink,” she said.
Hillman says she’s contacted her landlords, Ramon and Alaida Camacho, numerous times and filed multiple 311 complaints. Someone eventually showed up, but she says the job was left unfinished, and now she’s dealing with rodents entering through holes under her sink.
She says the landlord has not been available.
“I’ve been calling her, texting her. It goes straight to voicemail,” Hillman said.
Other tenants told News 12 they’ve had similar problems. Alpha Manzueta says she’s been asking for repairs for more than a decade and has faced pushback from the landlords for calling city inspectors.
“When I call them, I get retaliatory remarks about why I keep calling the city,” she said. “But I’ve been calling them directly for ten years.”
Manzueta says she’s stopped paying rent while her case plays out in court and hasn’t been able to cook in her kitchen for six months.
Over the phone, Alaida Camacho dodged most of News 12’s questions and refused to provide court documents before hanging up.
Tenants say they just want safe, livable conditions.
“We deserve the right to have good living conditions,” Hillman said.
