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Company sues landlord over alleged lease violations
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Posted on Sep 11 2005
A company sued its landlord Friday at the Superior Court for alleged violation of landlord-tenant laws, including hooking up another tenant’s power supply to the firm’s leased premises.
American R.F. Corp. filed a civil action against Lee Kwang Suk. The company rents the entire second and third floors of a three-storey building from Lee, as well as half of the building’s ground floor. Lee rents out the other half of the ground floor to IslandDogz Bar, according to the complaint.
“Despite defendant’s promise to install a power meter for the IslandDogz bar, defendant has failed, and continues to fail to install a power meter for his other tenant, IslandDogz bar,” American R.F. Corp.’s attorney, Joseph Arriola, said.
Arriola said his client had to cut off the power hook-up to avoid substantial increase in utility fees to the Commonwealth Utilities Corp., resulting in a legal dispute between the company and IslandDogz.
The company also complained of a leak in the ground floor’s edges, saying that its furniture and appliances got wet and damaged after a heavy downpour.
“The premises became uninhabitable and unfit for human consumption in that, among other things, the drop ceiling, consisting of wooden material, had deteriorated and rotting as a result of complete termite infestation, and otherwise rendering the premises unsafe and hazardous for human occupation,” Arriola said.
The company also complained of sewage overflow that allegedly reached building grounds.
It also said that the landlord has failed to credit some $13,000, which the company spent to repair the ceiling infested by termites, to the rental amount. Arriola said Lee has failed to furnish his client with rental payment receipts despite demand.
The lawyer asked the court to award monetary damages to his client, among other relief. (John Ravelo)
