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California tenants claim their apartment was riddled with rodents and poor upkeep that led to one of them being seriously injured.
Oakland, CA. -- Oakland, California - A California couple wants accountability from their former landlord for allegedly leaving them with a
rat-infested apartment that was in a dilapidated condition.
The lawsuit comes after one of the tenants suffered severe
injuries after falling through a wooden staircase in a rotting condition. They
hope their lawsuit helps bring some accountability.
Simone Acevedo and Gregory Pugh say they moved into the
apartment in 2011, but according to their lawsuit, since Siu Michael Chen and
Quan Ying Chen assumed ownership of the property in 2015, things went downhill.
“She’s just a different person,” Rosa Salas said of her
friend Acevedo.
According to the lawsuit, the building had a stairwell that
wasn’t up to the City of Oakland’s building codes putting residents in harm's
way.
Photos of the stairwell presented in the lawsuit show weathered wood with worn-out
paint. Some of the nails that held parts of the stairwell together were partially
exposed. Acevedo and Pugh say they repeatedly warned the property owners of the
safety risks.
The lawsuit claims the Chens hired “family friends to replace the
staircase” but they also allegedly “failed to get a permit from the city” to
complete the construction correctly.
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Problems with the troubled stairwell reached a breaking
point in June 2020 when Acevedo fell from the staircase, injuring herself. Her
foot got stuck on an “unleveled plank of wood” precipitating the fall.
As she
attempted to stabilize herself, the lawsuit claims the railing “completely snapped
off” causing her to fall 15 feet down the staircase and onto the cement below.
The
fall left her bloodied and in severe pain. She sustained injuries to her back,
specifically a “burst fracture” in her spine.
“All she thinks about every time she steps outside is, ‘I
can get hurt’ and this could happen to me again,” Acevedo’s daughter, Valicity
Simmons said during an interview.
Adding to their troubles, the property allegedly didn’t have
a working heater and rodents ran rampant on the property.
Photos attached to
the lawsuit show a dead rat ensnared in a mouse trap. Acevedo and Pugh claim
the rat photographed was the tip of the iceberg.
“[The] owners failed to send an extermination company to
properly treat the infestation” according to the lawsuit.
Instead, the owners
allegedly opted for rat traps which led to the infestation worsening over time.
“At least 40 mice and rats” were caught within a span of
three months. The onslaught of decaying rodents and rodent feces proved unbearable
for the tenants.
Acevedo claimed in the lawsuit, that she had to clean up “dead
carcasses of rats and mice and rodent feces from her floors and oven.”
Although the fall occurred roughly three years ago, Acevedo
claims to still suffer from lingering pain, severe headaches, depression, and
anxiety.
The AC Phoenix reached out to the Chens for comment about the
lawsuit filed against them and the allegations surrounding their deplorable
property. There was no response at the time of this report.
We will continue following this story as it develops.
In an effort to track his family history the author has skillfully layered the foundation of his roots. Julius Faucette searches for a workable meaning to his life through his ancestor's choices of color. Faucette takes the reader back to the 1700's through research and intimate conversations with one of the oldest members in the family. Eugene Pinnix, who lived to be 104, speaks to the readers through Julius Faucette. 
Fluidly, calmly, insightfully, Faucette guides his readers straight to the intersection of the most serious questions of identity, class and race. The Saga of Madison Brown "A Choice of Color" is a story of race, inheritance and color choices. Not often does one hear of someone of German ancestry passing for black. Through his research, Faucette reveals how individuals in the Madison Brown family were able to make color choices, which ultimately resulted in life changes.
Faucette cleverly shifts between information obtained through general research and his on-going interviews with Eugene Pinnix. By combining both, he is able to educate and entertain his readers. The author deciphers a historic unknown by matching it with known facts obtained through his cousin Eugene. And the contrast between those born in slavery and those born to freedmen is powerful. This historical pictorial will draw readers in.
As the Madison Brown history unfolds, each generation passes down to the next that thirst to make color choices. The struggles of each play out in this candid historical review. In this irresistible story, Faucette resists the urge to paint with a broad brush that will stereotype the races. He utilizes the information obtained from not only his dear cousin, but also documents from local courthouses, state records, etc., to present a complete family picture.
This first edition will take the reader back several generations and the result is that
most will yearn to know their family origins.
We are very excited to share our archive issue newsstand section. Click on the desired thumbnail to view the entire issue. Archived issues are organized on the newsstand by year. At the bottom of the newsstand click on the year to view additional issues.
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