A New Haven tenants union is resuming protests against the trustee of their State Street apartment building.
Hannah Srajer, president of the Connecticut Tenants Union, says this time, residents of the Rail Yard Apartments are picketing due to high electric bills which they say are caused by poor insulation, and faulty electrical equipment.
Srajer said Farnam Realty Group should be held accountable.
“They are also not being honest with new tenants who are signing leases about the costs of the building and issues with the quality and maintenance of the building,” Srajer said.
Members with the tenants union at 1455 State Street previously held a rally at Farnam’s office back in December, after Farnam became the court appointed trustee for their landlord, Ocean Management, due to unpaid debts.
Union organizers complained Farnam initially promised to work with them on topics from repairs to leasing terms, but have since stopped communicating.
Farnam Realty Group’s founder and owner, Carol Horsford, disputed those claims saying any negotiating over the lease needed to be done with Ocean Management.
Horsford, said her company is not at fault.
“They're asking the wrong people,” Horsford said. “They need to ask the person who owns the building and who is in charge of making those decisions. We're just the court appointed receiver tasked with keeping the financials and the accounting accurate.”
Ocean Management has faced controversy over the conditions of its units in the last few years, with tenants at other properties complaining of poor maintenance.
At least one other tenant union formed at the Quinnipiac Apartments, another Ocean Management owned property, according to Yale Daily News.
But for Rail Yard Apartment tenants, Ocean Management isn’t overseeing the daily operations, according to the union.
Srajer said while Farnam isn’t the owner, that doesn’t mean they don’t bear any responsibility in the matter.
“If you are collecting rent, if you are responsible for maintenance, if you're responsible for communication, you have power over the building,” Srajer said.
Shane Biagiarelli , who moved in around two weeks ago, said he was surprised after being warned by union members over utility costs due to faulty electric equipment.
“It was a little bit disappointing to hear, first day in, that bills are going to be pretty high. So, I'm not looking forward to that first bill. I'll be honest, but we'll see how bad it is,” Biagiarelli said.
