Hello,

I live in CT. My landlord built and now owns 2 houses next door to each other. They are zoned as single family houses. He tried to make 3 apartments in each house. However, the fool did it before he even had his final CO. So the city shut him down for many many reasons because he was apparently cutting corners all over the board. They made him rip out the basement apts in each house and the violating attributes (as in a 2nd kitchen) on the 1st floors.

When me, my wife, and 3 kids moved in he told us that he was only using the first floor and basement for storage, which he was. However, he was doing so only because the city still had to come in and do routine checks, which we didn't know at the time. See we only wanted a single family home but we figured since it's such a good deal, utilities included, electricity, landscaping, etc. we'd take it. I mean it's pretty close to a single family house if downstairs is only going to be storage.

So we had the city coming and going for the whole year as well as contractors. Finally he got his CO. So now he's trying to go back to the 3 apartments, in each house, model. He's yet to build the basement back but says he's going to. On the first floor there's a real estate agent down there every night showing the mostly finished apartment. He plans on finishing it again once he gets a tenant.

This guy is real sneaky. Everyone in the nieghborhood hates him. I've had my diffrerences with him too but nothing that bad. He always asks me to lie for him in many forms. One example is he tried to get me to tell the city that I lease the whole house and the storage downstairs was mine. I just told him I wouldn't do that. Then he just kept them away from me but I know he lied to them daily.

So the deal now is that my wife and I don't want someone living below. He's doing the same thing next door in his other house except he's the one living below.

Is there anything I can do to stop this madness and make sure he sticks to the law and only puts one family in here? Is my route of action the city and/or a lawer?

Ideally, I'd like to keep my name out of it completely and just have the city put a stop to his illegal actions. Is that possible?

You could send an anonymous notice to the building dept. Since he has a record with them they will probably investigate.

When is your lease up?

I'd call the City Building inspector's office and inform them of just what this sneeky landlord is doing or is planning on doing. If they've already shut him done once they will shut him down again.

Contacting a lawyer about this would result in you spending money and the attorney not being able to do anything about this as the attorney is not the Building Inspector or the Building Department. You and the attorney have no jurisdiction over this matter.

You may want to start looking for another place to live as well so you and your family are not subjected to any more lying and obvious stress that this sneeky shady guy is causing you. Sometimes a "good deal" is not what it appears to be in the end.

You have a lease? How does the lease describe the premises? Does it speciify downstairs storage (for his use). If it isn't specified I think you could have a good argument anyway that you leased the house with the exception of downstairs storage for his stuff. This is quite different than different tenants in the downstairs. He would be violating the lease were he try to put tenants in downstairs.

Inform him that should he try it you will see him in court for constructive eviction.