HARTFORD, Conn. — Imagine tenants renting an apartment and then getting a water leak, the heat goes out or there’s an animal infestation. Attempts to call the landlord go nowhere, as they can't be reached. It’s a reality for so many in Hartford. It's why the mayor wants to crack down on and hold so-called slumlords accountable in the capital city.
“Please do something about this. It’s urgent,” stated tenant Gordon Platt. To find a building owned by an out-of-state landlord in Hartford all you have to do is follow your nose. FOX61 found dilapidated properties blighted and littered.
“This is a bad actor in our city who is making money off of some of our most vulnerable residents,” remarked Mayor Arunan Arulampalam.
Arulampalam capped off housing week in Hartford at a blighted apartment complex on Farmington Ave. that’s been cited for multiple code violations. Tenants like Platt said they’ve had enough.
“I tried to get in touch with them for shoveling of the snow and there was no way I could get through," Platt said. "They weren’t answering the phone.”
The building, along with the abandoned one next door and 13 others across the city, is owned by PAXE Properties. It’s an out-of-state entity last listed in New Jersey. It has operated under the guise of several LLCs.
“We have water problems in this property here. The city paid $55,000 to put in a boiler. We put a lean on the property. We have another property around the corner that is not getting hot water right now. We’ve got rodent infestation problems,” said Arulampalam.
Dead mice, dirty diapers, old food, baby bassinets. They are just a few of the items scattered among the field of debris that blights the landscape. The city has slapped them with health and safety citations over and over again.
“We send them official notices and we tell them for each of your violations we are going to fine you,” said Michael Perez, the Director of Blight and Remediation for Hartford.
And when that doesn’t work, it can turn criminal.
“We will make referrals to the state's attorney's office for non-compliance with city orders,” added Perez.
Hartford is cracking down on these so-called slumlords. A city council proposal would raise the daily maximum fine for blight.
Hartford plans to create a master list of all the known problem properties and make it public. The city leaders also plan to create a map where the specific problems can be logged.
“We will be able to see on this GIS system those properties that have multiple problems and violations so we spot them before we get serious complaints or emergencies coming from them,” explained Judith Rothschild, Hartford’s housing liaison.
The city is even beginning the foreclosure process on some properties. But it’s not as easy as slapping a condemned sign on a door, because people live behind them.
“We pay a lot of money to live here and we deserve to be treated with respect,” said Platt.
The city is relying on cooperation from residents before they can take action, since legally they can’t enter private property unless invited inside by a tenant.
While it's not illegal to live out of state as a landlord, the city also wants to incentivize local ownership.
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Matt Caron is a reporter at FOX61 News. He can be reached at mcaron@fox61.com. Follow him on Facebook, X and Instagram.
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