How Africa News
Francis Roberts argues that his haven has turned into a living nightmare.
According to the New York Times, the 77-year-old has lived in his Crown Heights building for over two decades.
Mr. Roberts claims that squatters, trash, and even chickens can now be found on his lawn or in front of his apartment door. Furthermore, he claims that his living situation has deteriorated since portable clogged toilets were allegedly placed near his bedroom windows.
“It has been hell,” Mr. Roberts said, according to The New York Times.
Another neighbor on the property, Maria Florez, has been a bystander in the squabble between Mr. Roberts and Mr. Akaber. Mr. Akaber, she claims, has music playing “24/7,” and his actions appear to be a “torture approach” geared at Mr. Roberts.
Mr. Roberts also claims that he awoke to find a stranger at his computer desk, and that Mr. Akaberi was using a barbecue grill outside his front door the next day.
Furthermore, he claims that a man was discovered roaming his hallways despite the installation of new security doors.
According to reports, the tents and portable restrooms were eventually removed.
“I just want to make my apartment habitable and to live in peace,” Mr. Roberts told The New York Times. “That’s all I want.”
Mr. Roberts is now suing 972 Park Place L.L.C., the corporation that purchased the building for $1.3 million. The lawsuit seeks to address and rectify 240 violations, which include, among other things, lead paint chips, mold, sewage overflow, and damaged doors.
Furthermore, Mr. Roberts is pursuing civil penalties against the landlord, who continues to claim that he will improve Mr. Roberts’ apartment once he moves into a rent-regulated apartment.
“Once I get out of here, I’m not getting back in,” Mr. Roberts told The New York Times. “I know this.”
