Tenants demand action at Boyle Heights apartment complex

LOS ANGELES - FOX 11 continues to investigate buildings on the Los Angeles City Controller's list of the top 100 problem rental properties.

Coming in at No. 5 on the list is Wyvernwood Garden Apartments in Boyle Heights.

Thursday, dozens of Wyvernwood tenants gathered outside the Los Angeles Housing Department office, demanding solutions to their laundry list of problems.

"We have more than 300 demands that we have put to the city, especially to the housing department, and they just close the cases. Some of them are closed from one day to another," tenant Fernando Sanchez said.

Wyvernwood is No. 5 on LA City Controller Kenneth Mejia's list of the 100 most troubled rental properties, with housing and code violations related to illegal eviction, illegal rent increases and reduction of services.

Footage shared with FOX 11 by the tenants union showed a bathroom in disrepair and the walls and ceiling covered in mold.

"There's mold, fungus. People breathe that. People breathe that and go to your lungs. I'm not a doctor. I can't diagnose it, but I can tell you surely that that's why people get sick," Sanchez said.

The group of tenants stormed into the Housing Department's office, demanding to speak with an investigator who they say continues to close their complaint cases without resolution.

After an hour, the crowd left without speaking to any officials.

"We're asking someone, the government, someone to check all these problems, to check all these files," Sanchez said.

This is one of the reasons Controller Mejia says his office launched the dashboard.

"Even though they investigated it or they closed it, these issues go unresolved, and that is actually why this is another tool to pressure the city to put more teeth into these laws that we passed," Mejia said.

We went to Wyvernwood Apartments ourselves, hoping to talk to management about the alleged problems.

We were told no one from the office could speak on camera and that the property owner would call us.

We're still waiting.

Meanwhile, the LA Housing Department sent us this statement:

"LAHD has been responsive to these complaints and has investigated all complaints filed regarding RSO violations. We will continue working with the tenants on the issues at this location and are referring the cases regarding reduction of services to the City Attorney's office for action."

If you live in one of those 100 properties listed, we'd like to hear from you. Send Nic a message on Instagram.

(@nicgarcia_tv)