There are hundreds of thousands of people running in and out of landlord/tenant court like it is a revolving door.  Most don't know how to defend themselves or even have an inkling that there are laws within each state that pertains to how a tenant can be evicted.  In addition, the judicial system is treating each individual based on whether or not they can pay their rent at the specific time that the case FINALLY hits the court system and there is a trial.  We each know that landlords oftentimes have attorneys that come into court and manipulate the court system to the advantage of the landlords.  Most of us don't stand a chance in the courts unless we are knowledgeable regarding what can and cannot be done.  We need to be educated on what constitutes a violation of our rights!  We have to be educated on what our living conditions should be and when an attorney defends a landlord that provides substandard living conditions, the landlord should be held accountable.  Yes, there is code enforcement but most times, they are non-compliant with follow through.  They SOMETIMES come out and issue violations however, what sense does it make if there is no follow through as in taking the landlord to court and making them pay fines that they deserve.

This petition is in respect to my first hand knowledge and experience with the systems and how I have lived in multiple apartments where there were rodents and vermin.  Where there was mold and regular leakage.  Where the elevators are oftentimes not working and living on the upper floors is a problem when they are not working.  I live in East Orange where I was told that there is no elevator inspector nor are there any laws on the books to address the mold.  In addition, the city is doing nothing to address these problems.  The only time you are sure to see them is when it is time for election and then there are shady dealings.  A city where some of the city council members ride the auctions and snatch up properties for their friends and family.

These are the items that need to be addressed:

1)  Each tenant that comes into court, should be given education such as classes on landlord/tenant case defense

2)  Each tenant should be allowed more than the 5, 10, or 15% abatement that sometimes they are given after proving that they are living in squalor.

3)  Any judge that classifies tenants as deadbeats should be removed from the landlord/tenant trial court and then dealt with on a higher level as their only duty is to apply judicial knowledge.  In essence, they are the gatekeepers and are not to form any personal feelings towards anyone based on creed, race, religion, disability, or color but much more importantly, income.

4)  In all circumstances, landlords should not be allowed to automatically place a black mark on anyone's credit rating.  Landlords who do this should be automatically sanctioned or at least tenants should have a grace period to file a complaint against a landlord that does this.

5)  Any attorney that violates the rules and regulations of the court and violates a tenants rights by lying and/or manipulating the rules should be dealt with ethically with no pushback from the governing entity.  There are not many cases that move forward with disciplinary actions.

6)  Any governmental employee (regardless of what level) that is aware of major issues with compliance against any tenant should be sanctioned and be placed on judicial notice of their failure to their constituents and this information should be made public so that the public can decide whether or not to re-elect these individuals back into office.  Once a do nothing, always a do nothing.

7)  For tenants that receive DCA monies, if a landlord refuses and purposely wants to make the tenant homeless (which costs the government much more), they should be prosecuted to fullest extent of the law.

 8)  Lastly, if a death occurs due to landlord non-compliance, the tenant and their family has the right to sue that landlord with the help of an attorney at the expense of the landlord.  In most cases, these are large corporations such as L&M Development who own Georgia King Village and Norman Towers and are major problems within the urban communities.  

Please take note that the foreclosure crisis was instituted and followed through by major corporations such as L&M and now there is a rental crisis!  They must be stopped so that we may live as human beings and not as chattel.

Please sign and share this petition!

Respectfully,

Cynthia Johnson, President and Founder

Essex County Tenant's Association