Tenants question safety of homes

Adela Cruz is scared of her apartment.

Cruz has been renting an apartment in a Pfeiffer Street rowhouse for a little more than a month and fears many of her home's basic necessities -- electricity, heat and water -- are rigged for disaster.

"It's all booby-trapped," said Cruz, pointing to a disheveled electric box in her basement with a water pipe running over it. "It's a deathtrap."

Her landlord, Curtis Spitz, of Lakewood, Ocean County, also owns a Westfield Avenue duplex that caught fire Jan. 10, killing a toddler and his father.

Many of Spitz's tenants in Camden said they did not know where to voice concerns about what they feel is high rent for deplorable housing.

"It's horrible in here," said Wanda Padilla, 27, pointing out mold, loose electric socket covers, and rusted cabinets inside her sister's two-bedroom apartment, also on Pfeiffer Street and one of Spitz's properties.

Spitz could not be reached for comment Tuesday.

Padilla said a man who works for Spitz was in the apartment Tuesday afternoon, installing a railing on a steep staircase where her niece recently fell. He declined to comment Tuesday.
Padilla said her sister and her husband and their three children have been renting the home since September but a smoke detector was installed only a few days ago.

Mariana Santiago, 24, lives in the one-bedroom apartment above Adela Cruz. She thinks the large patches of dark mold growing in her closet have been making her son sick. She said Spitz had painted over the mold, but it has since grown back.

"When it rains outside it rains in the closet," said Santiago, who pays $625 a month in rent, with no utilities included.

A tour of some of Spitz's other properties in Camden showed some were vacant and one rowhouse on Boyd Street appeared to be heavily damaged by fire.

On Jan. 11, Spitz was arrested on a charge of failing to appear in court on property code violations.

Spitz and his wife have been cited by Camden officials for 22 code violations in recent years, including two for the Westfield Avenue property. One of the violations, from August 2004, claims Spitz did not obtain a certificate for rental approval at the Westfield Avenue property. Camden's Code Enforcement office directed all inquiries regarding Spitz to the Law Department where business administrator Christine Tucker declined to comment.

Alfredo Palillero, 22, died on Monday from injuries he suffered in the Jan. 10 fire. His 18-month-old son, Alex, died on the day of the fire. Palillero's wife, Alex's mother, 19-year-old Adriana Roldan, is "getting better" at Temple University Hospital, according to family members.
Malecio Palillero, 38, said he and his family have met with an attorney. He said the home's heating system was in need of replacement and said he has documents to prove it.

"We want justice," Palillero said. "I lost my son and my grandson."

Palillero said his daughter, Guadalupe Palillero, will remain at Temple University Children's Medical Center for another week. Three other relatives have been released from hospitals. City Council President Angel Fuentes said the city is contemplating the formation of a committee to discuss landlord/tenant relationships.

"We are going to go after these landlords. There are people who take advantage of owning a lot of properties in this city. Many of these landlords are not registered with the city," said Fuentes. "There is a host of issues and concerns with this."

Councilman Frank Moran, who represents the neighborhood where the fire occurred, said the blaze should serve as a wake-up call for the city and prompt officials to figure out what they can do to avoid similar tragedies.

The fire department already has a smoke detector distribution program, but Moran said he wants to create community groups throughout the city that can help spread the word about the program.

Moran said he and his colleagues plan to ask the fire chief about the status of the investigation during Thursday's council meeting. They also plan to ask about ways the department can supply smoke detectors to city residents, he said.

"This is not the first time and it won't be the last," Moran said.

Fire Marshal Ralph Roberts said the Westfield Avenue fire is still under investigation. He said there was a smoke detector in that home but it has not been determined whether it was working. Roberts said he plans to meet soon with police, housing and county prosecutor's office officials to gauge the status of the investigation.

Spitz also owns properties in Paulsboro, including two boarded-up homes on West Washington Street. One small bungalow had trash strewn across the yard and an open front door that revealed the home's disheveled innards. Next-door neighbor Roman Walker said he rarely sees Spitz, but did confront him once in the summer about cutting the grass.

"He said "You can do it, but I'm not paying you,' " said Walker. Borough workers eventually cut the grass, Walker added.

Acquilla Ward rents a West Washington Street home from Spitz and said she's had few problems with him.

"Anything that needs to be done to the home, I just pay for it myself and take it out of the rent," said Ward. "I give him the receipts and he hasn't said anything about it yet. It's pretty safe."

Code Enforcement officials in Paulsboro said Spitz had amassed violations at some of his properties but those complaints were not available Tuesday.