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WXYZ takes action on a Inkster landlord with 11 homes with violations

Posted at 9:51 PM, May 01, 2017
and last updated 2017-05-01 21:51:32-04

"I’ve tried to keep cool, but it’s really hard on me. And I call everyone. Nobody wants to help do nothing. Nobody understands," says Inkster resident Vicky Harte. 

When Harte began renting an Inkster home nearly two years ago, she was relieved to find a place that her disability check would cover. But soon after settling in, that relief quickly began to fade.

Outside is a railing Harte says her landlord promised to properly ground with cement, but never did.

She says it was so unstable she ultimately took a big fall, breaking her femur bone and ankle.

It’s an injury she’s had to deal with on top of other more severe health issues. Harte has had five strokes in the last year, along with multiple seizures.

Harte also says her bathroom ceiling has been leaking since 2014, along with a broken thermostat preventing her from controlling the heat. 

"I was told he would fix everything, and he hasn’t fixed anything," she says. 

Harte says her landlord, Joe Avissati, never asked her to sign a lease, which means she’s technically free to move out at no cost. But even though she’s tried, it hasn’t been easy because most apartments require tenants to be be making two or three times the cost of rent. 

 And each time she turns to the landlord to make the fixes, she says he shrugs her off.

So our Taking Action team went straight to Avvisati himself. He says Harte's claims or inaccurate, that she's never called to make the fixes.  

But according to Inkster city records, Avissati has 11 different properties in violation. 

 After Channel 7 addressed the landlord, he did return to the home and begin doing some work on the roof to repair the leak. But the resident says he has since left that work undone.