AUSTIN – Tenants living in buildings managed by Pangea Real Estate are suing the company, alleging rodent infestations, safety issues and insufficient winter heating have not been addressed despite repeated complaints.
The group of 14 tenants opened a lawsuit on Monday to demand classic action status against Pangea. She is seeking compensation for “deceptive and illegal business practices,” according to the lawsuit. Pangea is one of the city’s largest real estate companies, with more than 13,000 apartments between Chicago, Baltimore and Indianapolis.
The federal complaint alleges Pangea knowingly chooses not to fix serious maintenance issues to boost profits, leaving tenants dealing with rodents, roaches, water damage, mold and unheated apartments in the winter. The company has had more than 5,000 building code violations since 2009, according to data from the city’s Building Department which is detailed in the lawsuit.
“Issues are systemic in all Pangea apartments. They choose not to put money into the maintenance that is needed, ”said Christopher Wilmes, one of the lawyers who searched on behalf of the tenants.
Pangea has been facing allegations of abusive tenant practices, and in the decade before 2019, the company filed more than 9,000 eviction cases, according to an investigation by Chicago Reader.
Willie Bradley struggled with insufficient heating and mold-caused health issues during the eight years he lived on a Pangea property, he said. Even in the coldest weeks of winter, the apartment’s radiator only turns on for about 15 minutes at a time, depending on the cause.
“My apartment was never heated enough. When I was inside my apartment, it felt like I was outside, ”said Bradley.
The building Bradley lived in also had broken tuckpoints that allowed water to seep inside, the suit says. The issue remained unaddressed for more than six months, at which time leaks worsened, causing the walls in his apartment to “swell and collapse” under water damage. , depending on the cause.
Bradley’s apartment also suffered from mold, which Pangea staff painted on instead of treating, according to the lawsuit.
“We pray better for ourselves and for thousands of other Chicagoans,” Bradley said.
When Kayla Jones first moved to Chicago from out of state, Pangea moved into a different apartment unit than the one she initially turned around and signed a lease for, she said. The switch left Jones with a decrepit apartment infested with rodents, the lawsuit says.
“I was moving from Dallas, so I had no resources on which to fall back on,” Jones said. “There were obvious signs of a pest infestation. Dirt from roaches and rat feces was on the carpet, and obvious signs of mouse holes in the walls. “
When Jones submitted work orders to resolve the issues, Pangea closed the complaints without addressing them, according to the lawsuit.
Pangea Real Estate officials could not be reached for comment immediately.
Tenants living in the Pangea building who have faced similar issues could possibly join the lawsuit by contacting the law firms representing the tenants: Faegre Drinker Biddle & amp; Reath LLP, Hughes Socol Piers Resnick & amp; Dym, Ltd., and the Metropolitan Family Services Legal Aid Society.
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