Case Date:

7/16/2013

Exposed 120 volt outlet on light post! Yikes

Case Date:

8/19/2013

I am writing this in regards to an elevator issue in which I was apart of at Smallwood Plaza. I am concerned about the safety hazard their elevators pose. On July 26, 2013 3:30 pm I had just come home from work at about 3:00 pm. I parked my car in the B1 garage of Smallwood so I could move my things back and forth easily. I went up to my apartment (the elevator seemed normal at this time), put my phone to charge, rested a bit, and then went back down to my car because I was moving. After packing my car, I went back to the elevator to go back upstairs to my apartment, on the 7th floor. I keyed my card to go up, the elevator started rising, and I heard a peculiar sound. The best way I can describe this sound is that it sounded like chains rubbing against each other. Then, the elevator shook and jolted. Luckily, I didn't get hurt, but I was forced to the other side of the elevator because of the jolt. I immediately pressed the emergency button as well as the alarm button. After waiting for 5 minutes with no response, having no phone because I had left it to charge, I started to panic and hyperventilate. I waited for 30 minutes alone in this elevator. I looked for the emergency phone in the box and was horrified to see that it wasn't there. I had pressed the emergency button for 30 minutes. I had looked up at the security camera thinking, "can't you see me?!" Thirty minutes later, a girl on the other side of the elevator said: "is anyone in there? I replied: "yes can you please open the elevator?!" "I can't it's not opening. I will go get help, ok?" I was thankful that someone had heard me. A couple of minutes later, a maintenance guy showed up. He opened the elevator with his hands, and gave me his hand so I could climb down because the elevator was stuck in between floors. It took a little more than a week to fix the elevator. After my incident, I first talked to someone in the City of Bloomington building and he said to talk to Smallwood first and then report back if nothing was resolved. I talked to the Smallwood office management. Their response to me was "It happens, it's normal." Appalled, I said, "Well, will you let me know what happened?" and she replied "what do you mean" and I said: "well, with the elevator..." and she said: "I can take your name and number and have my manager call you" Whitney, the woman I had this short conversation with, seemed to be completely dry and not concerned about this situation. I never heard from the manager or the office. I find this issue to be a huge safety hazard to the public. Please let me know what will be done about this situation. Thank you, Priscilla Massey

Case Date:

1/8/2016

A few months ago, my 5yr old son and I moved into a house located at 620 West 15th Street in Bloomington, Indiana. The landlord Michael Stone stayed he was in the process of remodeling and investing in the House. It has been apprx four months now and the trash and other hazardous gas/propane has been growing more and more outside the house, behind the house, and along side of the garage {which not only making the house look filthy but also has brought all kinds of bugs inside and out of the house and HUGE living critters such as possums, raccoons, and mice living right under our deck that wraps around a majority of the house. These critters are not only HUGE in size but they also fight with my outdoor cats and are fearless of humans and scare my company and children. I have brought the critters and the bug problem to my landlords attention on numerous times and he is very aware of such issues but refuses to do anything other than continue to add to thee trash and thee rubbish outside of the house. Further more, I have just recently moved into the basement part of the house where the landlord had converted it into a two bedroom/one half bath for more space for me and my children. When I moved down to the basement, the landlord claimed he was in the process of laying carpet down and adding a drop ceiling, however I did not realize how bad of shape the basement truly was in when me and my kids moved from the upstairs bedroom to the basement "apartment". I have been renting in the basement part of the house now for appxly three months now and the landlord has not fixed anything as he stated he would when I moved down there. {example: the whole furnace and water heater is exposed with wires of all sort and kinds, there are several different outlets, wires, pipes, and vents that are outdated and exposed with no covers or any type of coated insulation. Only part of the basement has a drop ceiling that covers small portions of wires, pipes, and light fixtures {most of which area is falling in and a portion of the drop ceiling has actually fallen in on top of my five yr old son } I have brought all of these violations and improper safety issues to the landlord on numerous times since moving in and the landlord continues to ignore any/all of the issues and concerns I have brought to his attention. I wish I could find another place to live but I am disabled and have a very limited income and can not find anything in our price range at the current moment. In December, things were really tight with the Holidays and all and I had to go to thee Trustees office for rental assistance that month; Although, I received a letter from the Trustees office stating they could not help me due to a number or reasons concerning the Landlord and something to do with the HANDS inspection people. I spoke with my landlord in person and showed him thee Letter from the Trustees office and I wanted an explanation and if the landlord had any knowledge of why the Trustees office stated the written reasons why they could not assist with this particular location.. At first, the landlord denied any wrong doing and then he finally admitted to me and my father that he was NOT a licensed Landlord and HANDS (code enforcement or whoever inspects rentals) did NOT in fact, inspect the basement in which he has been renting out to me. The Landlord also stated to me and my father that the upstairs rooms that he has been renting out was supposedly approved by HANDS as only a "one family" house and only adults were approved to live up there (yet he had my kids and I living in one room for a few months before moving us down to the basement) According to the landlord, supposedly only one family house to be rented out only consist of three adults. The landlord was renting out to Me, my kids, and another room mate; all at the same time that the landlord, his girlfriend, and the girlfriends' two children were also using the same bathroom, shower, kitchen, laundry washer/dryer, and the entire house at the same time that the landlord was also renting the upstairs and basement out. NOTE: I have pictures, videos, written complaints, and the landlords' verbal acknowledgment recorded of his scandal and neglectful ways with this house he has been renting out. I am hoping to find a new place to live soon but in the mean time, these are just a few things that this slum lord has done and continuous to do.

Case Date:

3/11/2021

There is a loose cord from one end of the building in the grass to the “office” unit of the apartment complex. This presents a personal safety hazard to myself and my animal.

Case Date:

5/5/2022

I appreciate you mowing so quickly after I called to mow. There is still overgrowth there. Furthermore, I have seen people coming in and out of the empty building that used to be the red cross. I don't think they are supposed to be there. Can you post a sign that says no trespassing? They broke a window within the last week to get in.

Case Date:

12/1/2022

My smoke detector has went off for weeks. After notifying a staff office member she was very dismissive and rude about it. And it's still not fixed and worries me. Clogged sink. Light bulbs in bathroom and microwave over light. Bathroom has mold. Black mold. Smoke detector hanging from my son's room by wire and they never sent maint. Drugs and needles (what I believe must have been drugs) many times in the hallways staircases and elevator. Used condom wrappers in hallways and staircases.

Case Date:

6/15/2004

dumping trash in the alley across the road from the office;runs north and south;saw trash being taken out of Micheal Lindsey Photography perhaps tenants there;

Case Date:

9/2/2003

BEHIND WALTERS REAL ESTATE OFFICE THERE ARE 2 TRASH CONTAINERS OVERFLOWING BELONGING TO THE RESTAURANT AT 204 N WALNUT.

Case Date:

9/2/2003

ON 6TH NEAR HER OFFICE ARE BOXES AND BAGS OF TRASH.

Case Date:

10/14/2002

Mr. Chandler reported to the Mayor's Office that the Bloomington Housing Authority has two dumpsters. The residents don't get the trash in the dumpster, and the company who empties the dumpster also leaves a mess of trash, which blows into the neighbors yards. He also said that the containment area for the dumpster only has three sides; nothing in the front. Says that he has notified BHA of the situation many times, but problem still continues.