The D.C. Attorney General is suing the owners and management of Marbury Plaza in Southeast D.C. after what is said to be "years of unsafe conditions" that left hundreds of residents without air-conditioning during a June heatwave.
Images of what is described as mold and water damage in an apartment in the complex are also included in a new lawsuit filed by the city's attorney general against “MP PPH LLC,” the company that bought Marbury Plaza in 2015 and the management company hired at that time — Vantage Management
"My apartment got flooded, and I had mold build up on the radiator system, and I had mold on the walls," Victoria Gilchrist said about the conditions that made her move out of Marbury Plaza in 2017.
The lawsuit cites frequent heat and air-conditioning problems, the most recent of which left hundreds of residents in the complex without air-conditioning in June.
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The District government had to bring an Emergency Command post and cooling buses.
The lawsuit also faults building management for failing to control rodent infestation, faulty wiring and other unsafe conditions.
In a statement, D.C. Attorney General Karl Racine said:
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"Landlords and property managers have an obligation to provide their tenants with safe and secure housing. Not doing so, is illegal and puts too many DC residents, including seniors, individuals with disabilities, and members of our immigrant communities— in danger in their own homes.”
A man who identified himself only as Davis, says he’s lived at the complex on Good Hope Road for decades and is saddened by its decline.
The lawsuit also alleges discrimination against residents with physical disabilities, because of the frequent elevator outages.
News4 has reached out to the complex’s management for comment and is waiting for a response.
