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HomeMy WebLinkAboutComplaint Inspections.pdf Town of Ithaca Aug 28, 2023 CODE-23-104 Complaint Inspections TOI -Complaint Form Status: Active Became Active: May 17,2023 Assignee: Christopher Torres Completed: Applicant Primary Location Lisa Hoyte 1028 Ellis Hollow Rd Unit Ellis Hollow Apartments raven_rising56@yahoo.com Unit Ellis Hollow Apartments 1028 Ellis Hollow Rd Ithaca, NY 14850 Apt. 246 Ithaca, NY 14850 Owner: 607-391-0368 Conifer Realty, LLC 1028 Ellis Hollow Road Ithaca, NY 14850 History Date Type Recorded By Result Aug 27,2023 BLD-Complaint Follow Up Christopher Torres Pass Met with the onsite property manager,Ginny,and a member of the maintenance staff for the walk through of unit 243.\n\nAll previous noted violations have been corrected at this time. Cosmetic renovation is almost complete for the unit. i ; 1 Jul 26,2023 BLD-Complaint Follow Up Christopher Torres Partial Pass Spoke with onsite property manager,Ginny,regarding the status of this apartment.Cleaning of the unit will begin next week.Ginny will reach out when such is complete so an on-site walk through can be conducted. Jun 29,2023 BLD-Complaint Follow Up Christopher Torres Partial Pass Date Type Recorded By Result Conifer is in possession of the unit and will be working on cleaning out the apartment. I requested to conduct a walk-through inspection once such has been completed. I will continue to monitor progress of unit/conditions previously noted. May 29,2023 BLD-Complaint Follow Up Christopher Torres Fail See attached inspection report for results.\n May 18,2023 BLD-Complaint Follow Up Christopher Torres Fail Met property manager,Ginny,onsite for a walk-through of another complaint.While onsite, I asked what the status/progress of this complaint was.It appears the resident is receiving help from a third-party.I was not able to enter unit while onsite.To try again on a different day. Comments Lisa Hoyte,May 30,2023 I'm actually concerned about that so called help.APS and DSS. Nothing g has been done physically in apt 243 and resident has not recieved any medical help either. Fire dept here on Saturday,wellness check done vis NYS trooper De Simone as I called due to others residents concerns for her continued safety.They said, "they were afraid resident could die in her apt be she is so weak and in bed all the time". Resident able to answered with yes it no answers but kept calling make trooper "mame".Trooper supervisor recommended we call Office for the Aging I said I would but they cant help. Conditions must be seen asap! Help is not helping they ha ent even started and it has been many months that's why I filed complaint.We need town eye on conditions here.Yes,a resident problem also with health decline age 82. But manager has not even been in apt. She's too scared to because of bed bugs and roaches and smell. If so called help does not intervene this week, myself and other residents are going to make a plan to remove all the rubbish ourselves and find another place to change clothes and shower.This way we can ensure her safety around rubbish issues.We will vacuum up as many bugs as we see and kill them w chemicals.As far as her health,we can help with that. Her sister bought 325.00 of food last week,she couldn't get into apt nor wanted too, so groceries still remain on floor where resident placed because she is too weak. Refrigerated food and freezer food is rotting and swelling up.The smell is very bad as witnessed by trooper. Is this acceptable for human life and Conifer can just say "were working on it?!"We humbly ask for your physical inspection as soon as possible. Lisa Hoyte,May 30,2023 Just got off phone with office of the Aging and spoke to Heidi she said trooper desimone just called her too and he made report also to APS. So that makes many calls to APS. Heidi speaking with Director lisa Monroe. I told them not to believe management. Lisa Hoyte,May 30,2023 Thank you Thank you!!! Lisa Hoyte,Jun 1,2023 APS worker and 4 cleaning women just left apt 243 at 200pm.Tenant sat under tree for shade w APS worker. Bed was removed and many black construction garbage bags.Too 4 hours from 1000am to 200pm. Resident just told to return to apt. No bed to rest on today or tonight. She will have to sleep on the floor. Good grief! She's 82 years old. Ellis Hollow staff never lifted a finger!! Left it all to the cleaners, no help at all.What about their responsibility for a habitable apt? I guess Orkin may come next,tomorrow is Friday if they don't come then she will continue to be bitten by bed bugs till next week.There are thousands when I last saw myself.When she get Orkin to spray, she will have to leave apt for 4 hours like others have too. Conifer will tell you different, but about 30 percent of building has bed bugs and that just what I know of. Many have been treated now because of my complaints and May 3rd news papee aeticle in the ithaca times, Conifer is also negligent in making sure vermin and pests are not in apt.Apt 243 has been infested since last October 2022.That also why bed bug and roach Infestation grew so large.Will you site them for these abuses? I have decided along with others to move as soon as we can. It's not safe here. Lisa Hoyte,Jun 9,2023 resident was in critical condition and was transported to hospital on 6.7.2023 and most likely will not be returning due to health condition being critical and in Arnot ICU,finally! Apt was cleaned of clutter last week but never exterminated for bed bugs and roaches to date. Lack of response by Conifer. Has been about 9 months she has lived in unsanitary conditions, no help till last week and that was limited. Christopher Torres,Jun 12,2023 Hi Lisa, Please see the attached inspection report from our last visit to unit 243.We have on our schedule to follow-up with this unit at the end of the month. CODE-23-104 Inspection Report (https://town ithaca- my.sharepoint.com/:b:/g/personal/Ctorres_town_ithaca_ny_us/EZVDEGtkFx5MjjfzQOeQ29OBaVhM00MAQxcl- g4MwuwfOQ?e=tiayLV) Best, Chris Lisa Hoyte,Jun 12,2023 Property Manager Ginny Goines and ken manager from Orkin entered apt 242 after my bed bug inspection and I told ken she was not there due to being medically rescued by Ems. I begged him to please exterminate apt as she is not physically there. No more delays,this was cruel punishment to resident I'll on floor blow up mattress and covers with bed bugs literally all around her body and neckline. She would have died in there and became bug food like other tenants have. Cruel and unusual punishment that could have been addressed over 9 months ago. But Orkin and management puts burden of apt prep on elderly residents.After my news article on May 3rd 2023 in Ithaca times paper,only then did they come out with information for residents to pay for their own apt preparations. Unheard of to put blame on residents for delays when Conifer delayed the most. Not only bad for residents with bad infestations but bad for neighbors and building in general. Conifer is negligent.Thank you for addressing all of our concerns.We appreciate your assistance in all these matters. Lisa Hoyte,Jul 7,2023 Not sure anything much has been done with apt 243 to date.Tenant passed away a week later after taken to hospital and in ICU. Manager out currently on leave not sure when she will return or if she is returning. Brittany Johnson at linderman creek apts is managers supervisor. Lisa Hoyte,Jul 24,2023 As of today apt 243 is in as is condition from the day tenant was taken by ambulance on June 7th, 23.Tenant beneath her found apt door to 243 unlocked I confirmed also.Took pics to show feces and old depends and smell still pervasive due to no attention to apt at all.When will you see it for yourself? Smell has been bothering downstairs tenant for over a year and she needs relief. I told her to also report. Manager will return from vacation on 7.25.23.Thank you Lisa Hoyte,Jul 26,2023 Hi Chris,thanks for feedback. Hard to keep track of specific apts from my end without apt numbers on Complaint code etc.Anyhow, understood about apt 242.What about 243?Across the hall from 242?Apt has not been touched at all and in same condition as when twnat left by ambulance. Downstairs tenant has bad air quality due to putrid smells coming thru venting to her apt. Have you seen and inspected apt 243???Tenant been gone since June 7th and died June 12th,2023. Best, lisa thank you! Christopher Torres,Jul 26,2023 Hi Lisa, I made an onsite visit to apartment 243 back when the resident was still occupying the space. Since the passing of Beverly, I have been in communication with Conifer management regarding the condition of the unit and the process that occurs when a tenant passes while being a resident at Ellis Hollow Apartments. I was informed that Conifer would be working on cleaning the unit out. I will reach out to get a more accurate timeframe as to when that may occur. Best, Chris Lisa Hoyte,Jul 27,2023 Chris,well at least your followup may get manager to have apt 243 finally cleaned out.The smell of feces all over the floor, literally. Used and soiled depends has been bothering downstairs tenant air quality due to smell coming into her apt thru vents of upstairs apt.There's been no other agency in tompkins county to address these issues where the ill elderly,are left to die on their apt floors, literally. Management gets told by tenants that a tenant is ill or manager confirms herself that tenant is no longer able to live here independently due to observed declined health. Manager calls APS.When APS arrives to assess, it takes a very longtime to address the often hoarding hazzards,feces and urine, pests like roaches and bed bugs(getting better after 9 years!). Point being the hazardous issues that make it not safe for tenant and pet as well. In my 15 years I've seen alot here but not all of it because of building size. I'm more aware around me or if tenants discuss with me as tenant advocate.The code dept could inspect upon our complaint which would do many things like for one maybe even saving a life, literally. The condition of tenants health and inability to manage food,waste, pests,disposable depends-soiled,etc. There's a big picture here indeed. From low income seniors, most without family or supports, isolated and lonely to being afraid of saying anything about bed bugs or roaches and makes things worse as well result. From DSS, APS, office for the aging, health dept, code enforcement etc. Is it possible to meet and share our stories with you or mine at least of consistent issues of health and safety happening here during covid and currently.Worst I have ever seen in 15 years.We've had a longterm gas leak, carbon monoxide readings, recalled heaters, and so much more.We starting a tenant association in August.We need to know what is appropriate to report and what is not and how a failed inspection might trigger a faster response from DSS depth etc to intervene asap with health and safety issues that often affect other tenants as well. So in short,we appreciate ALL that code has done and hope that as another witness you can see the culmination of concerns that I hope can lead to landlord doing more and other debts as well. Some may say or believe that the poor,disabled and elderly are not as important as young working tax paying citizens,well....I'm not quite sure what to say to that. But what i can tell yiu is its absolutely heart breaking to see these conditions continue to worsen with increase. It's gonna take all of us to find "reasonable " solutions in time to address the changing issues the poor elderly face in independent housing.The writing is in the wall.As citizens of low income housing begin to learn their rights and the local laws and codes its gonna get busy.There's much to tell about what goes on in "affordable low income housing".As an educated baby boomers who arrived here to live before my time,soon I will be joined by other educated baby boomers in about 1 year from now.We're a different breed.We make our voices heard and will speak up to injustice and what I see here is elder abuse and neglect. CONIFER can't just wash their hands so easily as landlord of a ELDERLY and DISABLED ONLY and deny that there are increased concerns with such a population no matter their income level. I know what I see and I know ithaca can do better and so can NYS. I'm onto something here and while I mean no harm in any way at all,we must use whats available to us to address the issues here.The efforts will show that something has to change with Ellis hollow apt practices and the agencies that refer tenants here to live and the city town and counties who keep approving of these needed housing development but turn their heads the the plethora of issues that will exist. Code enforcement has been our window to be seen.You can come here and see what needs to be seen. I belive Tompkins County is better than this.There are more building like ours and owned by Conifer. Once the word gets out about tenants being able to report unsafe conditions,which we will plan to educate tenants on and be able to not be afraid of landlord for doing so with new 2019 tenant laws where landlord cannot retaliate against a tenant for reporting code violations, etc.That's huge! And exactly why I have reported the conditions I have. If no one knows,THEN NO ONE KNOWS! This is just the safety stuff,we deal with even more with the variety of tenants changing so much and many are helpless. I can't turn my head away,this is where I live and my main social connection with no other business outside of my home and community other than grocery shopping and doctors' appts, procedures or surgeries.Welcome to life as a senior citizen when you begin to fall apart bit by bit.Things happen quickly and most 104 tenants here live ALONE. Except for 3 couples.Yes,we're all grateful for the housing no doubt, but things have changed dramatically and we're seeing to many people suffer and die in sad conditions. I don't claim to even begin to know the answers to all the growing concerns here.What I do know is this is bigger than us as told by a reputable local law firm we have been in contact with but unfortunately due to taking on a class action Contingency case this firm could not invest their resources against other current paid cases and we got nanda! NYLaw swamped with evictions. No other entity nor do I ha e the fortitude to take this on with a big city law firm. I'm not well enough to do so. So, it's up to the local agencies and Conifer to begin to address the changed conditions not only here at Ellis Hollow Senior Apts but elsewhere most likely and perhaps even worse conditions. My apologies for all this and I'm not sure where this will all end up but "we got problems Houston!" It should be known.