San Jose residents file lawsuit against alleged slumlord

SAN JOSE, Calif. (KGO) -- Some San Jose residents have filed a lawsuit against their landlord because of their deplorable living conditions. The apartment complex is on Rexford Way, near San Jose City College.

Walking into Alejandra Hernandez's apartment will make your skin itch. She said nothing works, there are holes, cockroaches, infestations.

The stove is warm even though it is not on. The tenants say it randomly heats up the entire apartment. PG&E inspected the stove and fixed a gas leak associated with it, but it is clear it is old and needs to be replaced.

Hernandez, along with three other families, filed a lawsuit against the landlord of 2125 Rexford Way -- Michael Lucich.

Attorney Nadia Aziz told ABC7 News, "This is a landlord who had completely neglected his property and taken advantage of tenants who are poor, who are immigrants, who had subsidies."

Aziz is a senior attorney at the Law Foundation of Silicon Valley. She says the landlord won't work with her and retaliated against people who complain. She said one tenant, "got an eviction notice after making a complaint to the city of San Jose's Code Enforcement."

Benjamin Rapier lives under a precariously propped balcony. When we asked him what bothers him, he replied, "I don't know where to start...it's just like mold. So basically it's like a lot of stuff that has to do with my long term health."

The lawsuit asks for punitive damages and for the problems to be abated.

Lucich could not be reached for comment.