Hank Investigates: Most Wanted Landlords

Landlord Patrick King didn't want to say much us about the numerous health and safety violations city inspectors found in the apartment building he owns.

But one of his tenants invited us inside.

Hank
"Show me where you live."

Downstairs in the basement we found a so-called apartment: tiny, damp, no windows.

Hank
"What would you call it?"

Tenant
"I'd call it a storage room."

Hank
"Do you have a refrigerator?"

Tenant
"He took it a couple of weeks ago."

A twisted and rusting stove, the bathroom--infested with bugs. Broken doorways, leaky ceilings, poor ventilation.

Hank
"Do you feel safe here?"

Tenant
"Not too much."

He lives like this because his landlord cited over and over for housing code violations simply ignores orders to show up in housing court.

And he isn't the only one. Our investigation of housing court records across the state found more than a thousand deadbeat landlords!

We visited their apartments all over the state and found deplorable conditions, rickety plumbing, insect infestation, a dangerous lack of security.

Judges say when landlords ignore the law it often leaves their tenants at risk.

Chief Justice E. George Daher
"It's an absurdity, I can't stand it, my staff can't stand it."

What makes it worse is when the landlords are no-shows in court warrants are issued commanding police to arrest them. But most often they don't.

Judge Daher
"No court in the commonwealth will tell you it's not a problem."

And our investigation found:

At Northeast Housing Court: inspection reports listing rodents, roaches and lead paint and 55 landlords wanted, but still at large.

In Southeast Housing Court: 91 arrest warrants for landlords!

In Western Mass: number unknown! The computers are not set up to keep track of them.

And in Boston Housing Court we found the numbers are huge: there are 800 outstanding warrants for law evading landlords.

Judge Daher
"The paperwork, the backlog, the tenants, the misery, the delay--yes it's a problem. It's a problem."

What's a problem for the court is a disaster for tenants.

At an East Boston apartment, the landlord, David P Kelly II, has hundreds of housing violations on file and five warrants for his arrest! But he's still at large, leaving his tenants to live in squalor.

James Wilson is the landlord of an apartment that has rats. He also owns this other apartment, where the tenants find it unlivable.

Tenant
"Something has to be done, people cant live like this any longer."

City inspection reports show lead paint where a toddler now lives.

Tenant
"I was told it was lead free, and now... it's not."

Court records show there were twelve warrants for Wilson's arrest! Then last month in court he was a no-show again. Warrant number 13.

Officials know when landlords are allowed to avoid the law the result can be deadly. It was only after one tenant died in a rooming house fire that officials realized the landlord had twenty warrants for his arrest.

John Eade, Inspecitonal Services
"It is an ongoing source of frustration for this department."

Bottom line landlords know no one is looking for them. Remember Patrick King? He has five outstanding warrants! But he's not hiding; we found him at home.

Hank
"Are you going to clear up the warrants?"

Soon after that King did turn himself in. He's now free on personal recognizance and officials say he may have repaired some of his apartments. But if you're wondering why the police aren't arresting law evading landlords, officials explain that in the past it wasn't a priority. Now, they say, it is. But when the crackdown will begin no one knows. Police say since it'll be the first time they've looked for landlords they're figuring out the best way to do it.