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Tenant facing eviction says landlord ignored maintenance requests

2 years 3 months 5 days ago Friday, August 19 2022 Aug 19, 2022 August 19, 2022 8:11 PM August 19, 2022 in News
Source: WBRZ

BATON ROUGE - A woman is being forced to vacate her rental home, but she tells 2 On Your Side that her landlord hasn't fixed any of the property's problems.

It's why Takisha Houston withheld her rent. She says she's disgusted, aggravated and frustrated over the entire situation. Thursday, she appeared before the Justice of the Peace for an eviction hearing. She now has until Sep. 5 to leave, or the eviction could appear on her record.

"I have to find somewhere else to move. I don't know how I'm going to do it, I just got to figure it out," Houston said.

Houston and her four children have been living in a house on Atlanta Avenue, and she says she withheld rent because of their living conditions.

"I'm living with mold and mildew, water coming out of the walls," she said.

Houston lost her job recently and received $7,600 through East Baton Rouge's Emergency Rental Assistance Program. The funds took care of her arrears and provided a three-month advance to her landlord.

Since he received the rent, Houston says her living situation declined.

"You collected this money and never came and fixed anything," she said.

Water is seeping behind her kitchen cabinets, and mold is growing. She's also having electrical issues.

"I'm in half of a house... I have to play with a socket in my daughter's room to cut on a light in my room," Houston said.

Thursday, 2 On Your Side spoke with the landlord, Carey Ford. He said the house was in great condition when Houston moved in, but it deteriorated. Ford also says he plans to fix up the property once the tenant moves out.

Houston wants to know where he's been and why he hasn't responded to her requests for maintenance.

"He never came back," she said. "I've called several times, I've sent text messages, I've left voicemails."

Houston is getting ready to leave. She's another tenant facing eviction and searching for a new home.

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