VBI &II Tenants Association Legal
Donation protected
I am writing on behalf of the Villa Borinquen I&II Tenants Association with regard to ongoing disputes with our landlord and management company.
We are hardworking tenants trying to get our landlord to value our community and treat us and our guests with an appropriate level of respect. Our neighborhood has been around since the 1970’s. It was developed to help low and moderate income families make ends meet without having to abandon Jersey City. The tenants of Villa Borinquen include independent seniors who raised their families here, disabled tenants living on a fixed income, and parents working two jobs just to make ends meet. Over the past year, we had problems with the mismanagement of the property, mistreatment of the tenants, and improper rent increases. A major example of their inability to care about their tenants was during Hurricane Sandy. Days went by without the landlord checking on their tenants, especially the elderly. We had to rely on each other to get food and water to the tenants who were not able to leave their apartments.
After countless unpleasant encounters with management and the landlord, we decided something needed to change so we formed a tenants association. We found it was necessary to start this association as a way to open up communication between tenants and management. The Villa Borinquen Tenants Association was created in order to strengthen the tenants’ voices on issues.
Recently we encountered a major rent issue that management and landlord made a mistake and tried to pass it on as it was the tenants fault. Management claimed they implemented a rent increase in 2013 and they informed the tenants of this increase. But according to numerous tenants, they did not receive this notice. For a whole year, management never said a word. Then all of a sudden in June of 2014 a notice was sent to tenants that they owed arrears. The question is why did it take a year for them to realize this mistake? The tenants gathered together to fight this injustice. We had a sit down with management and they refused to admit their mistake, so we realized we have to take this fight further.
Unfortunately, we were recently informed that the landlord and management will not make any changes without legal intervention. We therefore need to raise a legal defense fund in order for the Villa Borinquen I&II Tenants Association to defend the tenants’ rights to be treated fairly, and in accordance with their leases and the law. In order to do this, we are reaching out to you for any monetary help you can provide.
Any amount you can provide will help us strengthen our community. Please feel free to contact me, Evette Gaetan, Chair of Villa Borinquen I&II Tenants Association.
Very truly yours
Evette Gaetan
Chair of Villa Boringuen I&II Tenants Association
We are hardworking tenants trying to get our landlord to value our community and treat us and our guests with an appropriate level of respect. Our neighborhood has been around since the 1970’s. It was developed to help low and moderate income families make ends meet without having to abandon Jersey City. The tenants of Villa Borinquen include independent seniors who raised their families here, disabled tenants living on a fixed income, and parents working two jobs just to make ends meet. Over the past year, we had problems with the mismanagement of the property, mistreatment of the tenants, and improper rent increases. A major example of their inability to care about their tenants was during Hurricane Sandy. Days went by without the landlord checking on their tenants, especially the elderly. We had to rely on each other to get food and water to the tenants who were not able to leave their apartments.
After countless unpleasant encounters with management and the landlord, we decided something needed to change so we formed a tenants association. We found it was necessary to start this association as a way to open up communication between tenants and management. The Villa Borinquen Tenants Association was created in order to strengthen the tenants’ voices on issues.
Recently we encountered a major rent issue that management and landlord made a mistake and tried to pass it on as it was the tenants fault. Management claimed they implemented a rent increase in 2013 and they informed the tenants of this increase. But according to numerous tenants, they did not receive this notice. For a whole year, management never said a word. Then all of a sudden in June of 2014 a notice was sent to tenants that they owed arrears. The question is why did it take a year for them to realize this mistake? The tenants gathered together to fight this injustice. We had a sit down with management and they refused to admit their mistake, so we realized we have to take this fight further.
Unfortunately, we were recently informed that the landlord and management will not make any changes without legal intervention. We therefore need to raise a legal defense fund in order for the Villa Borinquen I&II Tenants Association to defend the tenants’ rights to be treated fairly, and in accordance with their leases and the law. In order to do this, we are reaching out to you for any monetary help you can provide.
Any amount you can provide will help us strengthen our community. Please feel free to contact me, Evette Gaetan, Chair of Villa Borinquen I&II Tenants Association.
Very truly yours
Evette Gaetan
Chair of Villa Boringuen I&II Tenants Association
Organizer
Evette Gaetan
Organizer
Jersey City, NJ
