WALLS OF SILENCE

ANIMAL CRUELTY PART 1

 

Section 6 title 6.3 Failure to Maintain Sanitary Conditions

 

 

 

The Unfit, Unsanitary Realities of Minnesota Housing I’ve Been Criminally Pushed to Reside in as an Undocumented IDP—Animal Cruelty and Neglect—Animal cruelty and neglect in housing go beyond just a violation of comfort—they are a breach of basic human dignity and health, and when they are left unchecked by the property owner, they become THE STATE OF MINNESOTA’S BREACH OF THE IMPLIED WARRANTY OF HABITABILITY as well as a direct violation of the Residential Lease Agreement, which I pay for and which contractually obligates the property to enforce equally for all tenants. In the case of my apartment complex, the management's refusal to enforce lease agreements has resulted in an appalling, persistent problem that centers on unchecked animal waste, creating unlivable conditions for tenants. This chapter isn't just about neglected animals; it's about the systemic failure to enforce rules, maintain livable standards, and the detrimental impact this has had on my health.

 

Subpart 1. Sitting Urine & Feces as the Constant Companion

Living in my unit has become a battle of scents and sanitation. The overpowering stench of urine and sitting feces has infiltrated every corner of my space. It wafts up from the laundry room— a facility that, despite being included in my lease agreement, I can no longer use due to constant puddles of urine. The laundry room and Margrets unit complete the space which is directly under my unit. This isn't just my unit; it's an issue for the entire building, with management’s deliberate neglect allowing these unsanitary conditions to persist. The lease agreement makes it clear: residents must adhere to rules, including cleaning up after pets and ensuring animals remain leashed. Yet, these regulations are ignored, especially by Margret, who lives beneath me and shares a connection to the property management through her sister Sandra. Sandra is in a relationship with one of the property managers, a direct link that seems to protect Margret’s habitual disregard for hygiene. Instead of enforcing the lease’s conditions, management turns a blind eye, allowing the animal waste and fleas to dominate both levels of the carpeted common area—which looks and smells like one large litter box.

 

Subpart 2. Animal Neglect and Its Impact

Margret’s neglected animals roam the common areas, spreading filth and infection. Some of her cats were released into the wild approximately three months ago and now gather around her windows at night—fighting each other and trying to get back inside. When they succeed, they leave traces of those fights, bugs and waste throughout the hallways, compounding the issues inside her unit which directly beneath me—as well as the laundry room which has a trash can that people poor animal waste into and sits for weeks at a time; the apartment management allows this. These problems directly affect the interior of my upper-floor apartment.

Margret is not the only source of trouble. The apartment manager, Rick Newmann, has a scabby cat covered in welts that constantly scratches to relieve its itch. It was impossible to pay rent or enter the rental office without the cat rubbing against you. During my initial visit to view the units, I pet the cat out of politeness and immediately noticed the large scabs all over it. From that point forward, whenever I had to visit Newmann’s apartment—also known as the rental office—I made every effort to get in and out quickly, partly to avoid contact with the sick animal.

The conditions are so poor that other tenants, myself included, are forced to contend with the pervasive odor that causes congestion, nausea and headaches. Despite our efforts to combat it, the smell persists. Other tenants and I, particularly those of us who are people of color, have resorted to blocking the common area hallway entrances to our units with powders in an attempt to create a barrier and limit the stench. I personally mix potent essential oils with baking soda to deter animals and seal off my door. I also place incense in the external door jambs as an additional measure.

Without these precautions, the smell dominates the entire entrance, dining room, and portions of the kitchen and living room that border the common areas despite having an electric air freshener in an outlet of every room of the apartment. Unfortunately, with the majority of the animals living beneath me, the other half of my unit is filled with fumes rising from below. Fans run constantly, and I only close the windows when I need to take virtual meetings, make calls, or if it’s raining. The discomfort is relentless—in its current state, its not fit for human habitation.

To manage the smell, I’ve invested in Air Wick plug-ins, incense, and aromatherapy lamps for every room, replenishing these supplies monthly at my own expense because the Residential Lease Agreement is not equitably enforced. Despite these efforts, nothing can mask the overpowering stench of decay emanating from the units below—I’ve been sick for months.

Property manager Rick Newmann, just says that multiple tenants are “nose blind” he doesn’t enforce the lease or clean the building better if he’s going to allow this bodily waste to be a standing presence in common areas, we all have to navigate to enter and exit our units, empty trash and check our mailboxes.

I generally don’t use the laundry facilities because the mixture of roach infestation, multiple other bugs from animals and refusal to clean in the building on top of animal waste is simply unmanageable. I pay a rental price that includes access to onsite coin operated laundry however the property doesn’t provide a facility sanitary enough for intended use.

Subpart 3. A Community of Nepotism and Neglect

The web of relationships among property management staff and residents is a tangled one. Margret's sister, Sandra, is romantically involved with Anthony Anderson, a property manager, creating a shield of protection for those causing these lease violations. Meanwhile, Rick Newmann, another property manager, appears to condone this behavior. His girlfriend Sarah, an inebriated, disruptive presence, only adds to the chaos. They all form a tightly knit group, united in their disdain for tenants who are not part of their circle—a circle that leaves a trail of drug paraphernalia wherever it rest and travels in the building, and the enforcement of lease terms is a joke.

This network of favoritism and apathy has created an environment where I—and others—are forced to suffer the consequences of their negligence. The building reeks of feces and urine, a fact the property management cannot deny. They rushed to clean the halls only once—a day before a scheduled city inspection—confirming their capacity to address the issue, but only when it suits them.

Subpart 4. Financial and Physical Toll

I have spent over $330 just on Airwick refills since December. When added to the money spent on other cleaning products, traps, and sanitizing agents, the total is well over $1,030—expenses I should never have to incur to make my living space barely tolerable. This, on top of the monthly rent I continue to pay under a lease the property has clearly breached—ownership is a Ghost that I’ve never met; property management is not receptive to feedback or request because they, their families and invitee’s are generally the source of onsite property issues in every scenario. My financial burden grows with higher utility costs, food loss due to contamination, and transportation to gather to get these extras in order to make the environment inside my apartment less damaging to my health when possible.

Despite repeated complaints, my circumstances remain the same. The cost to fix this mess is beyond what any tenant can manage alone: professional extermination, the removal of neglected animals, lease terminations, and a complete overhaul of property management are the only true solutions. Yet, the individuals in charge—those responsible for the filth and for maintaining the property—are the very ones benefiting from my ongoing distress and Don Klyberg seems purely financially motivated and unwilling to address anything so long as money keeps hitting his bottom line.

Conclusion: Animal waste, infestations, and the unchecked behavior of irresponsible pet owners are not just lease violations; they are a testament to a deeper, more insidious problem in this state's housing system. Favoritism, corruption, and a lack of accountability make this housing nightmare possible—this property is not in compliance with Minnesota’s Implied Covenant of Habitability. As long as management remains more loyal to friendships than to fairness, these problems will persist. This is the reality of housing in Minnesota—a reality where “fit premises” is a mere legal term, devoid of meaning.

This expose serves as a record of my experience, not just with a property but with a system that fails those who have been historically marginalized and continues to perpetuate that failure under the guise of legality and lease agreements. I demand what I’m owed: not just fair treatment under my lease, but acknowledgment of the property managers’ willful negligence and the immediate restoration of habitable conditions. The fight for livable housing is far from over, and this is just the beginning. Videos and photos documenting these conditions can be found on the accompanying website www.WallsOfSilence.drr.ac —proof that these are not just my words, but a visual testament to the enduring neglect I have faced.

GRAPHIC EVIDENCE

Update December 30, 2014

Last Updated: December 31, 2024