West Oakland Apartment Tenants Claim Landlord Sexual Harrassment, Deplorable Conditions
WEST OAKLAND (KCBS)— More than a dozen tenants of a West Oakland apartment complex have filed complaints against their landlord that include sexual harassment and deplorable living conditions.
Tiffany Tate said the mold at Booker Emery Apartments at 7th and Peralta has made her sick and she wants to move away from landlord-owner Ramdas Darke.
"My big problems, or my issue is sexual harassment, mold, bedbugs and roaches," she said.
Tate claimed her landlord, "likes to get drunk" and that when she drops her son off to school that he likes to touch her. "Rub on me, rub on my arm," she added.
Tenants from the property attended a hearing at their rent adjustment program to have their rent reduced until the problems are fixed. The hearing officer said she could make a ruling within the next 30 days.
Rangit Darke, Ramdas' son, said his father is not doing well medically, but they are trying to do the right thing. He said apartments were treated for some of the pests described on January 9th, but that some tenants refused treatment and had even changed the locks even though they aren't allowed to do that.
"My parents have owned the place for 40 years. There's been people staying for 20-30 years and they don't complain about the same things. So I'm not sure what's going on there, but we're trying to help out as much as we can and to get things in a standard or normal condition."