PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Residents of the Haddington Elderly Housing apartments in West Philadelphia say building management has surprised them with a series of rent hikes and threats of eviction.
“We’re scared, because people are scared they will get evicted or get put out,” said resident Richard Johns.
Johns, who has lived in the 130-unit apartment complex at 56th and Race streets for more than a decade, says he and the majority of his neighbors have been blindsided by Michaels Corporation, which manages the building. The company is based in Camden, New Jersey.
“I received a letter stuck in my door — a handwritten letter — stating that I owe them $834,” Johns said.
He and residents like Barbara Mince say they paid rent on time every month, but they have been getting new surprise billing notices.
“They stuck a letter in my door: $5,068 … some cents,” Mince said.
The letters say if they don’t pay what’s being called “back rent,” court action will be taken. Johns says they’ve been given no documentation supporting the claim.
“The whole building got letters, except for 10-20 people. I talked to most of the residents,” Johns said. “And if we do owe rent, why did it take 10 years to get notices?”
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Like the others, Nancy Robinson Satchel says she doesn’t owe back rent. “I’ve been here for 15 years, and I have every receipt of rent I’ve paid,” Satchel said.
Yet, she has a similar letter.
“It says it right here — to terminate my lease,” Satchel said. “Now, if I owe $593, why wasn’t I told this when I owed the money?”
Johns says, like many of his neighbors, he’s on a fixed income.
“My gripe is if I legitimately owe them money, I don’t have a problem paying them,” he said. “But I don’t owe them money. They didn’t give me dates or anything.”
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Jay Cook says he has lived in the apartment complex for a few years, and his rent used to increase by $10 once a year — but since a new building manager was hired, his rent has gone up every month since December.
“There are a lot of retired people in here, and they shouldn’t be mistreated,” Cook said.
Michaels Corporation released a statement saying they will answer questions at a meeting later this week. The statement did not explain why residents are getting the notices.