CINCINNATI — A dozen tenants face eviction from one Roselawn apartment complex. The court filing said all owe back rent. One tenant, though, filed a civil complaint that could keep payment away from property owners until they fix problems in her home.
A lawyer for Heirlooms of Cincinnati, owners of the complex, told WCPO 9 News he cannot answer questions. His clients took control of the apartment in August.
One month prior, a U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development inspector found a "buckling kitchen wall" and "smell from urine from a garage" impacting the home of Bonita Moore. Her landlords failed to meet inspection standards for several other issues too, according to the HUD inspection report.
Moore filed a complaint in Hamilton County Municipal Court in November. She receives voucher rental assistance from the Center for Independent Living Options. Moore said she wants the money they pay for rent held in an escrow account until her landlord fixes problems identified by the HUD inspection.
The day before Thanksgiving, Moore said she received an eviction notice. Moore is figuring out her next steps.
Brooke Brovey is facing eviction too. She has a reading disorder and survives on Social Security benefits that are managed by Freestore Foodbanks' Benefits Service team. Brovey is four months pregnant with twins and concerned about the eviction letter she, her boyfriend and their roommate received.
"We're going to be homeless," Brovey said. "(We're) going back to group homes and I know nobody wants to go back to no group home and nobody wants to be homeless."
All three have disabilities. The benefits team manages money for Brovey's boyfriend too. The third roommate is under a different assistance program.
Heirlooms of Cincinnati filed six eviction complaints in October and six more in November. Brovey and her roommates owe $1,279 in back rent, according to the eviction filing in court records.
"We got that letter the day before Thanksgiving and I didn't really understand what it was saying, but I knew something about they wanted us out and I was freaking out," Brovey said. "I didn't know where we were going to live or anything."
A separate letter claimed the roommates owed more than $5,000 for damage to their unit. The trio showed WCPO 9 News cracks in their foundation. They claim it is a structural problem none of the roommates caused.
The director of benefits for the foodbank told WCPO 9 News once he confirms the eviction filing against his clients, his team hopes to work things out with the landlord and prevent the roommates from landing on the street.
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