CHEEKTOWAGA, N.Y. (WKBW) — Six months after 7 News first exposed mold and mushrooms growing from the floor of a unit inside the Linda Lane apartments in Cheektowaga, another tenant is raising new concerns about the conditions in and around this apartment complex.
"You can see all the things, just walking around the property, that are broken," said Timothy Walsh, a tenant of four years.
Walsh says he has been withholding his $725 monthly rent payments for the past nine or ten months in protest of the conditions he's living in.
Walsh shared images with 7 News of his bathroom ceiling covered in mold and mildew. He says he has repeatedly been calling for better ventilation in the building, but his calls have fallen on deaf ears at Sinatra & Co., which runs the property.
"They haven't even come in to look at it. Made no attempts to access my apartment to make repairs, they completely ignore me," said Walsh.
But Rebekah Baire, Vice President of Multi Family Operations at Sinatra & Co., defends the condition and maintenance of the apartment complex.
"There are no outstanding work orders at Linda Lane Apartments and those that have been completed since the summer have been completed in a satisfactory manner," said Rebekah Baire, Vice President of Multi Family Operations at Sinatra & Co.
"If we receive a phone call or whatever the case may be, you know if there's a service request or what have you, we put it in the system and then our guys go out there to take care of the situation," said Baire.
Walsh disagrees with Baire's claims. He says he has been complaining about a number of issues, including overflowing garbage dumpsters, crumbling staircases, and busted garage doors. When 7 News visited the apartment complex, a dead rat was inside Walsh's garage. Feces droppings were scattered around it.
When asked if Walsh feels his health is at risk, he replied "oh yes, very much so."
Less than 24 hours after 7 News reached out to Sinatra & Co., Baire contacted Walsh and put in a service order to address his concerns.
