PUBLIC TESTIMONY
Testimony by Miss Walden, Tenant from Penn-Wortman
0:08:50
·
5 min
Miss Walden, a tenant at Penn-Wortman, testifies about numerous issues with her apartment and building management following renovations. She details problems with her apartment door, unfinished work orders, electrical outages, and concerns about asbestos and construction quality.
- Walden reports ongoing issues with her apartment door, including gaps and improper installation, despite multiple attempts at repair.
- She highlights concerns about downsizing of apartments during renovations, including the installation of a false wall in her kitchen and loss of closet space.
- Walden raises questions about the safety and quality of construction work, including asbestos removal procedures and the installation of new pipes.
Miss Walden
0:08:50
Hi.
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I'm a tenant at Penwortman, Sandy Avenue Preservation.
0:08:55
I have been dealing with them since November December 23.
0:09:02
First, my front door, apartment door had a gap and it wasn't closing.
0:09:09
311 HPD came out, management tried to remedy the door, they couldn't do anything.
0:09:15
Now, they put the new doors in.
0:09:17
Well, HPD had to hire a contractor because Standard Avenue didn't do anything.
0:09:23
Okay.
0:09:24
Now, my door still has a gap.
0:09:25
You can see the hallway light, breeze comes in.
0:09:28
They want to come and they put a new door up, but the gap is still there, and they want to put weather stripping, so I'm not comfortable with weather stripping.
0:09:37
I asked for a new door with the correct measurements.
0:09:41
They still refusing.
0:09:43
Okay.
0:09:43
I've been putting work orders in since 23, and a lot of my work orders still have not been completed.
0:09:50
To piggyback, I'm told once you put a work order in, as long as that work order is not completed, you can't submit another ticket.
0:10:01
So, I think the 3rd December, I went to the office, and what they did was give me a printout of my work orders, but at the bottom, they put the date that I came in.
0:10:12
So my work orders, first of all, we would like to know about the slam locks because people are still getting locked out of their apartments.
0:10:21
Management said, walk with your keys at all times.
0:10:24
We explained people have different disabilities, different things.
0:10:28
Why should you have to walk with your keys?
0:10:30
So they refused to change the slam locks.
0:10:35
Last Thursday, all the, 16 floors, The electricity went out completely.
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We was not aware.
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News 12 came out.
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Of course, management said that they didn't notify, but people was not aware because when I left home about 9 o'clock, when I opened my door to leave, I had to use a flashlight to
UNKNOWN
0:10:56
walk down.
Chris Banks
0:10:56
You may you get another minute.
0:10:57
You may continue.
Miss Walden
0:10:58
Okay.
0:11:00
This renovation has been a nightmare.
0:11:02
They're downsizing their apartments.
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In my kitchen, they put a false wall, which took up my kitchen space.
0:11:19
Wanted to break my floor for asbestos, and I refused because they did not have the proper equipment.
0:11:24
So they took me to court.
0:11:27
Finally, they have to break the floor.
0:11:29
They have to have the correct equipment, but they made me sign a waiver or something that if I became ill, if it's asbestos, I cannot hold them responsible.
0:11:39
So that's something that need to be addressed.
0:11:43
Okay.
0:11:43
My closet, they put these pipes in, and I'm afraid if they are doing shoddy work, I hope these pipes don't burst in my living room because these are huge pipes, and I will be in trouble.
0:11:54
I'm on the top floor.
0:11:57
My living room closet, they gave me a little hole in the wall.
0:12:02
The agreement with the attorneys was that they would give me a stipend to get a closet, but the court was the case was dismissed dismissed last week, and I haven't heard from them, so that's another downsizing of the apartment.
0:12:17
And I would like to also stipulate, for any other building, if anyone is hearing impaired, could you please notify HUD that they should put the smoke alarms, the fire alarms up, the detectors up for the hearing impaired?
0:12:34
Because like I spoke before, I had to call the fire department and American Red Cross, and it's another development.
0:12:41
The person says she have the regular smoke detectors.
0:12:44
So that's something that needs to be addressed.
0:12:47
And I would also like to note that in my building, people are complaining about their pipes bursting.
0:12:53
Management is not doing the repairs like they should.
0:12:57
Management said they don't make appointments, but if you don't have an appointment, how are you supposed to know someone is coming out?
0:13:05
I have another issue because I didn't refuse the riser.
0:13:09
I wanted them to have the correct equipment for this asbestos testing.
0:13:15
Okay.
0:13:16
Now, with the riser, could you find out what the reason for this riser is and who does HUD check spot check the construction work?
0:13:28
Since they are furnishing the the payments, who from HUD or who come out and inspect these apartments?
Chris Banks
0:13:35
I believe
Miss Walden
0:13:36
Besides the construction people?
Chris Banks
0:13:37
I'll let Nitra answer that.
Miss Walden
0:13:39
Okay.
0:13:39
Now, in July, because they were supposed to relocate me to an apartment, and at the last minute, they told me no.
0:13:47
I was in my apartment sleeping.
0:13:49
They rang my bell, and since know they weren't supposed to come in, they opened my apartment door.
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Just as I got up, they used their key to come into my apartment without my permission.
0:14:01
So, that's another issue I have with them.
0:14:02
I was not refusing, but I wanted to cover myself and my family.
0:14:05
Refusing, but I wanted to cover myself and my family.
0:14:07
Do the right thing, and we can get good results.
UNKNOWN
0:14:11
Let
