Prospect Heights residents still in ongoing legal battle with management
They're now in a year-long legal battle with the building’s management company — accusing them of years of neglect, unsafe conditions and repairs that never seem to be taken care of.
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Tenants at 340 St. Johns Place and 285 Lincoln Road say things turned bad a few years ago, when Lisa Management took over the properties.
They're now in a year-long legal battle with the building’s management company — accusing them of years of neglect, unsafe conditions and repairs that never seem to be taken care of.
“They haven’t been very attentive to the problems of the tenants in the building,” said Bobbie Halliburton, a tenant of 59 years.
From leaking ceilings, to mold in the bathrooms, lead paint, violence at the front door, and days without heat, the list keeps growing.
“You can hear rats in the walls,” said Bonita Johnson, as she showed a News 12 reporter pictures of food in her cabinet that had been eaten through by mice. “I’ve been in the cold for three days. It was me and seven other tenants in this building. I had bacterial pneumonia last year. I can’t afford to go through that again.”
In one apartment, it's been months since the lack of fire escape was first reported. A Class C violation, supposed to be fixed within 24 hours.
According to HPD data, the buildings currently have nearly 300 open violations.
For Owen Payne, whose ongoing battle with lung cancer already threatens his health, he says the conditions inside his home make it even harder, and it's been three years since maintenance came to his apartment for any fix.
Despite multiple court orders.
“My radiologist sent them a letter, and they still wouldn’t do nothing,” said Payne. “For five straight years, he sent them letters. It's very frustrating, but with hard times now, people with apartments, prices are too high, so I will stay where I'm at. I just have to deal with it.”
Thirty of the tenants in these rent-stabilized apartments have signed on to the lawsuit against management. After all they’ve endured, the one thing they vow not to do is give up.
“They want rent,” said Halliburton. “We want service.”
According to Lisa Management’s online profile, the company has about a dozen properties under its belt.
However, these tenants say they are not all treated the same.
“We are just tired of living as though we're subpar,” said Johnson. “As though we don't matter, and that's not true.”
News12 reached out to the management company for answers but did not receive an answer to our phone calls.
