BRISTOL, Conn. — A third-floor apartment unit in a Bristol building was being cleaned Wednesday after it was left in ruins.
The owner reported the incident to the Bristol Police Department. He accused his tenant, who he tried to remove during the pandemic, of doing the damage.
“I’ve had vandalism before, but this is the worst I’ve had,” said David Haberfeld who owns the building.
Haberfeld said he owns about 36 properties. He said his tenant moved into the building in 2018 and paid rent in the beginning. But Haberfeld said things changed after the tenant started using several parking spots to fix cars, forcing him to ultimately evict the tenant.
“We asked him to move the cars multiple times, like dozens of times, and he ignored us or didn’t take us seriously, and we finally towed the car,” Haberfeld said. “He was so upset that I towed his car away, that he never paid rent again.”
Haberfeld said he filed for eviction after about two months without pay, but the pandemic halted the process.
“I hesitated because I knew him,” Haberfeld said.
Haberfeld posted pictures of the damage on Facebook and named the renter as the culprit. The person denied causing the damage online. We reached out to the person, but have not heard back.
“We were Facebook friends until yesterday and he responded,” he said. “He said ‘oh I didn’t do that’, and that I’m claiming insurance fraud and he said that I’m bad a guy
Trash covered the floor, paint was splattered across the walls, a window was knocked out and it appeared as though an egg was smashed against the wall, all in the backroom.
Haberfeld said the kitchen might be the most expensive room to repair. He didn’t know yet if there was damage to plumbing or electricity but expects to pay $12,000 to $15,000 dollars to fix the apartment.
Todd Pinette assisted with clean-up Wednesday.
“It was a disaster,” he said. “I mean furniture, clothing, everything you can imagine. It was just a total disaster. I feel horrible for the landlord.”
Haberfeld said the process was delayed by the eviction moratorium, which prevents the eviction of tenants who are unable to make rental payments. It was extended by the CDC on Monday. It was originally set to expire on March 31 but was extended through June 30.
The CDC states, "The COVID-19 pandemic has presented a historic threat to the nation’s public health. Keeping people in their homes and out of crowded or congregate settings — like homeless shelters — by preventing evictions is a key step in helping to stop the spread of COVID-19.”
“I would love for tenants and landlords to unite against the eviction moratorium because it hurts tenants just as much as it hurts landlords,” Haberfeld said.
Haberfeld said an exception to the eviction moratorium, allowed him to complete the eviction. He said if someone hasn’t paid rent in longer than six months they can be evicted.
“There are a lot of tenants who really should be evicted and this is an extreme example of one of them,” he added.
Haberfeld said he filed a police report. The Bristol Police Department confirmed they are investigating the incident.
Details about the eviction moratorium in Connecticut below:
Information about emergency utility and rental assistance can be found here.
Anyone with questions about their specific situation should consult trusted legal council.
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