Pipe explosion: Mother of nine children faces eviction
A mother of nine is facing eviction after her landlord accused her of being responsible for a burst pipe. The pipe incident occurred while the mother told FOX 11 she was facing numerous other problems from her home.
LOS ANGELES COUNTY, CALIFORNIA. – A cellphone video shows a Huntington Park landlord telling his tenant, “You want the $2,500… You have to move out,” while threatening to make her life hell.
The tenant, Lucina Rangel, says she was wrongfully evicted from her home despite paying her rent on time for 11 years.
Lucina Rangel says her problems began on August 12, when a pipe burst on the second floor of her home, causing significant damage.
Lucina says she notified the landlord immediately, but despite her efforts, she received a termination letter on August 25. The letter cited “negligence, accumulated trash, destruction of property, and failure to notify the landlord of the water damage” as reasons for the eviction.
“I live with water damage, cockroaches, rats… he hasn’t invested a single cent because I took care of everything in this house,” Lucina explained, expressing her frustration at the landlord’s inaction.
Lucina claims the landlord knew about the ongoing water damage and repeatedly promised to replace the pipes in the house, but never did. The situation escalated when a 4.4 magnitude earthquake struck near Highland Park on August 12, turning a small leak into a major problem.
“It rained in my kitchen, my laundry room and my downstairs bathroom,” Lucina recalled.
Although she notified the landlord the next day, she says he didn’t come by until nine days later and informed her that her lease was being terminated due to the property damage she allegedly caused by her late notification.
When the landlord was asked about the situation, he explained that he wanted Lucina out because she had “trashed the apartment.”
Lucina, however, vehemently denies this and insists: “He is lying. I took care of his house.”
As a mother of nine children, Lucina now faces an uncertain future. She suspects the landlord is forcing her out of the house to find a tenant who can afford a higher rent. In the cellphone video, the landlord can be heard saying, “There is no rent control in Huntington Park, I can raise as much as I want.”
A GoFundMe page has now been set up to help Lucina. If you would like to help, you can click here.
