The Trenton Times published the following article on June 6, 2013. To read the full article click here.
TRENTON — A city landlord who neglected to pay power bills at a Greenwood Avenue rental property, forcing all of his tenants to leave the building this week, was hit on the head by one of the tenants today when he visited the property, he said.
The building on the 600 block of Greenwood is owned by Satendra Narayan, who was ordered to seal up the apartment house today by city officials who condemned the property.
The Howell resident, who owns several properties in Trenton, was reached by cell phone today just after 11 a.m. and said he could not discuss the eviction of six families who rented apartments in the house because he had been “hit in the head by one of my tenants” and was bleeding.
Narayan could not be reached for further comment today.
The building was condemned by Trenton’s inspections department today after the tenants notified the city that the power had been shut off for nonpayment of the bills. The residents had a lease that said the utilities were included in the rent and that the landlord would pay the bills.
A representative from the department said the city contacted Narayan today and he is preparing to board up the building tomorrow.
The building had not been boarded up by this afternoon, but there was black graffiti drawn in black spray paint all over the walls inside the doorway and on the front porch. The graffiti was not on the building on Wednesday when the tenants were still living there.
Idelia Hollis, who had lived in the building since March, said she, her fiance and her four children, all under the age of 8, spent Wednesday night in a shelter and were looking for temporary housing again for tonight.
“All of our stuff is in the apartment,” Hollis said. “We have to go back and get it but I don’t know where we are going to put it.”
In a brief conversation before he was injured, Narayan said he had a lease agreement with Nelson Powell, a Plainsboro man who Narayan said wanted to eventually own the property. Nelson’s job was to manage the tenants in the meantime.
“He leased the whole building,” Narayan said. “And he was allowed to sub-lease it.”
Narayan said the agreement allowed Powell to eventually become the property owner. Powell agreed, but said there was a clause in his lease agreement with Narayan that said if he missed a month’s rent, the agreement would no longer stand.
“I gave him the keys and I told him that I couldn’t do it,” Powell said.
Narayan did not return several follow-up phone calls today. Trenton Police were unable to say if they were called to the home to investigate an assault or if Narayan was transported to the hospital.
Contact Jenna Pizzi at jpizzi@njtimes.com or (609) 989-5717.