I know some will not believe my story, but only I and my children know it's true. Maybe someone can offer some advice, because at this point I'm lost and my only altenative is to become homeless to keep my childern and I safe.
I've lived in my apt. for a year and 4 months now and since day one had problems. A month after moving in we had problems with rats, leaks, falling ceiling, electrical problems, no mailbox and being sexually harassed. In July a rat finally got into my apt from a hole in my ceilings. I managed to kill it but more came and my children and I were forced to leave for a while. The LL would not get a exterminator or a plumber to fix the problems. On a few occations the LL asked me out and said no. He lives below me and has a wife and children. I had no where to move to because I only make $20,000 a yr. and never had the money to move or afford a place. Finally when the ceiling fell again for the 6th time in Sept. 2002 I gave him a letter informing him if he did not make repairs I will withhold rent. I heard nothing from him until Oct when he came to collect rent and said he will make repairs. In good faith I gave him rent and never heard another word from him. The ceiling fell again, on my daughter this time, the first week in Nov. 2002 I told him what had happend and he said so move if you don't like it and turned off the heat. Since then it's been a nightmare. We had no heat and I've kept using my oven to keep warm. He knew my lease would expire in Jan 2003 and said he will evict me since I have no lease. When March came around and I was not evicted I went to housing court to see if he started eviction. He had not. But I was told the building was not registered and no certificate of occupancy and they told me that's why he didn't evict me. They said this will give me some time to keep looking for a place. But since the wiring of the building is very old the lights and some outlets go out on a weekly basis. The circit breakers are in the LL apt on the first floor so we have to go down there and tell him to turn the lights on. Sometimes he will but when he dose not we had to call the police. But he would always turn them back on just before the police arrive.
He also turned off the hallway lights so we can't see where we are going and I can't see to unlock my door. Anyway, last week the lights went out again. My son and I walked through a dark hallway downstairs to the LL apt. He would not turn the lights on so we told him we will call the police. That made him angry. He and 4 of his faamily members attacked us with sticks. My son took most of the blows and tried to protect me. His shoulder was dislocated and he had a cut on his face. When to police came the LL said my son had a gun and tried to shoot him. The police serached my apt and no gun was found because we had no gun. But because there was a fight my son was arrested. The LL never set on foot in jail beacuse he stayed @ the hospital faking chest pains so they kept him for observation and when they put my son's arm back in place he was sent to jail for 24hr. When my son was arrainged in court the police report was read and said my son was a victim of an attack. The judge was a little confused as to why a victim was arrested? Anyway, my son was told to stay away from the LL and if gave the LL and order of protection against my son. I took 2 days off from work to find some place to move because I knew he was going to try to have my son arrested again. Sure enough he did try. My toilet leaks a lot and we have to keep the valve off to keep it from over flowing, but if finally fell off and flooded the bathroom and it leaked into the LL apt. The police looked at my apt and saw the conditions. No ceiling in the Bathroom, leaks and other things and said they won't arrest him because he it was an accsident and he was letting his building fall apart. The police left and told us to report this to the the housing court and try to get out of here, fast. Becase they said he will try to lie to have my son arrested again.
At this point I'm going to have to put my stuff in storage and go into a shelter. If not my son might go to jail for somthing he didn't do.