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DENVER (KDVR) Tenants of a Denver apartment building that was raided by federal law enforcement officials at the beginning of February are suing the property management company for poor conditions.
The Denver Metro Tenants Union held a press conference Monday morning to announce the lawsuit against the landlords, Gelt Oneida Fee, at the Cedar Run Apartments, located at 888 S. Oneida St. The union said the lawsuit has been filed in Denver County Court.
Gelt Oneida Fee has a handful of other properties in the metro area.
According to one of the lawyers on the lawsuit, this is a case to get repairs. The plaintiffs hope to get deteriorating conditions repaired.
“We’re going to come together, immigrants and non-immigrants. We’re going to fight for what’s right. We’re going to fight to enforce the law against corporate lawlessness, against corporate greed,” said David Seligman, the executive director of Towards Justice.
The tenants’ union claims the exterior doors do not properly lock, leading to crime, vandalism and drug use. On top of that, human waste, violence and dead bodies have been found in halls and elevators, according to the union.
“This case is fundamentally about public safety,” Seligman said.
The union also showed photos of damaged mailboxes, a shower with a torn up wall and busted doors, as well as what the union said were feces in the hall.
“We’ve seen violence and vandalism from people who don’t live here. You never know who belongs here and who doesn’t. It’s scary. It causes conflicts beyond our immediate safety. The property has been destroyed. Our mailboxes have been ripped out of the wall, and we need to go to the post office to collect mail, our laundry rooms have been destroyed,” said a resident at the press conference.
“Let’s be clear, the ICE raid occurred because Cedar Run was targeted because of out of state private equity investors slumlords, not because of the tenants,” said Eida Altman, organizing director of Denver Metro Tenants Union.
Gelt Venture Partners provided a statement to affiliate KDVR on Monday afternoon.
“We are doing everything in our power to provide our residents with a clean and safe place to call home. We are consistently working with the Denver health department to repair – and often re-repair – exterior and interior damage typically caused by non- residents who break into the buildings. We have recently spent $200,000 on new doors, better lighting, locks and other maintenance,” the company said. “Additionally, Denver police check on the property every week, and we are working with them to stop those who aren’t residents from entering our buildings to get warm.”
KDVR also attempted to contact the management office at the property, but was unsuccessful.