Residents of Hubbard Gardens Apartments in northeast Indianapolis are facing a legal response to their dire living conditions as Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita steps into the fray by filing a lawsuit against the complex's owners. Citing over 80 health violations for the current year, the state's lawsuit focuses on "repeated sewage floods" and alleges a systematic failure in upkeep and false representations of habitability. WTHR reports the case includes counts of deceptive consumer sales violations among others.
The complex, having caught the state’s attention, was put on the radar on September 26, with Rokita’s office making a visit to the site. The inhabitants have been grappling with extreme conditions, with reports of "raw sewage coming up through the kitchen sink," as detailed in the WTHR article. Attorney General Rokita emphasized that the state will not stand by while citizens face such treatment and that efforts are being made to protect tenants' rights.
Describing the living situation as "horrendous," the violations have stirred public health concerns, leading to this legal action. WRTV's report includes a statement from Lauretha Fuller, a resident of Hubbard Gardens, who described the conditions as so severe that her daughter and grandson could not inhabit their apartment, being forced to confront an unsanitary mess that no resident should have to endure.
The lawsuit outlines a history of neglect spanning at least 89 violations, including 19 that resulted in judgments against the property owner, from January 1, 2023, to October 4 of this year. Both the Marion County Public Health Department and residents have reported deteriorating conditions, according to IndyStar. A 65-year-old resident described wading through standing water to reach her car. Violations include severe plumbing issues that caused raw sewage to flood tenant apartments and common areas, clearly infringing on basic occupancy standards and human dignity.
