More bed bugs in Nashua, NH: rooming-house tenant goes to court

by nobugsonme on February 27, 2008 · 7 comments

in SRO, bed bug lawsuit, bed bugs, bedbugs, law, legal, low-income housing, nashua, new hampshire, nh, richard jebb, rooming house

More on the Nashua rooming-house mentioned in this story.

Richard Jebb of Nashua, New Hampshire, is suing his rooming-house, having had nine treatments in his room and still suffering from bed bugs, according to the Nashua Telegraph.

On Tuesday, Jebb took his bug problem to Nashua District Court, suing his landlord, Mark Flint, and the owners of the building, 23-25 Temple Street Realty LLC, for interrupting the “quiet enjoyment” of his property by not eradicating the problem in a timely fashion.

The company faces a $1,000 a day penalty for every day of the violation, about $240,000 if it is proven the company was in violation of the law in June.

Sixteen units inspected showed signs of bed bugs earlier this month.

The bugs only come out at night, he said, remarking that tenants in the building talk about seeing the bugs on their television screens late at night, something he said he recently experienced.

It’s not uncommon, especially in SROs, rooming houses, and other low-income housing, that tenants are afraid to (or don’t know how to) demand help with the problem.

Although many tenants in the building are suffering with the problem, Jebb said not all of them are willing to speak up about it.

Thank goodness Jebb was willing to go to bat:

It is partly for the “little guy” that Jebb said he decided to put his rent money in escrow and fight the issue in court.

“If that’s what it takes to get this building under control for all these people.”

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{ 3 trackbacks }

Still more from Nashua, New Hampshire: fewer bed bugs at 23-25 Temple St.: March 16, 2008 at 10:01 pm
FAQ: Where can I read about bed bug lawsuits? Can you help me find a lawyer? : Got bed bugs? Bedbugger.com: August 19, 2008 at 2:26 am
Another 23-25 Temple St., Nashua, N.H. tenant sues landlord over bed bugs : Got bed bugs? Bedbugger.com: August 19, 2008 at 2:28 am

{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }

1 nobugsonme June 21, 2008 at 11:58 am: Mark Flint is in the Nashua Telegraph again, having been indicted for embezzling $38K of rent money paid by residents of 23-25 Temple Street. Perhaps, had that money been available for bed bug treatment, the building would not have had such trouble. As the Nashua Telegraph reports today:

Flint served as manager of the multi-unit rooming house during a time when it became plagued by an infestation of bedbugs. Tenants complained that Flint at first tried to handle the problem by passing out bug spray, rather than calling professional exterminators, and at least one tenant sued to protest his eviction, though his case was later thrown out.
2 nobugsonme August 19, 2008 at 2:18 am: Jebb lost his case and is being counter-sued for back rent.

The Nashua Telegraph reported on August 19th that:

Jebb, who had been ordered to return to court with proof that his room was infested, lost his case the next month when Moore ruled he failed to prove it.

Monday afternoon Jebb said he had since moved out of the building. Angry at the outcome of his case, Jebb said he purposely never paid the withheld rent for the months he allegedly suffered bedbug bites.

The building owners are now suing Jebb for the back rent in Nashua District Court. Both parties are scheduled to appear in court Wednesday at 1 p.m.
3 nobugsonme August 19, 2008 at 2:20 am: See also this lawsuit, same building.
4 Wade Whitehouse November 20, 2009 at 7:36 pm: The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Department has arrest warrants they would like to serve on on Mr. Richard Jebb. If anyone has any information concerning his current address or whereabouts, please call the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Department with that information at (603) 627-0153.