Two Franklin Park residents are accused of continuing to rent out a condemned Pittsburgh apartment ridden with water damage, electrical issues and a rotted wood deck, according to court records.<\/p>\n
Bin Guo, 62, and Chao Shi, 58, were charged earlier this week with making a public nuisance in connection with the apartment, located in the city\u2019s Greenfield neighborhood. Charges were filed by Allegheny County District Attorney Stephen Zappala\u2019s office.<\/p>\n
\u201cSafe and decent housing is a fundamental human right,\u201d Zappala said in a statement issued Friday. \u201cIt is our duty to ensure that those rights are not ignored, and if they are, our citizens understand that they have recourse.\u201d<\/p>\n
Guo and Shi purchased a duplex in the 800 block of Lilac Street in 2005, according to a criminal complaint. Since November 2021, Pittsburgh\u2019s Department of Permits, Licenses and Inspections has issued five citations about the property.<\/p>\n
The citations have addressed a range of allegedproperty violations \u2014 including unsafe structural conditions, exterior maintenance issues, trash on the property, overgrowth and a missing front railing. The property\u2019s back deck, for example, has been condemned since September 2021.<\/p>\n
During a reinspection of the property\u2019s deck in 2023, a code enforcement officer found untreated lumber and rotted and damaged wood. The officer also noted that the deck was pulling away from the wall it was attached to, the complaint says.<\/p>\n
Guo and Shi did not go to court for the deck until June 2023. It was the first time the pair appeared in court for the Lilac Street property.<\/p>\n
The most recent citation, issued May 7, prohibited people from living in the building.<\/p>\n
All five citations resulted in guilty findings. Outstanding case balances total just shy of $3,900, the complaint says.<\/p>\n
Property condemned in March<\/p>\n
Pittsburgh\u2019s 311 non-emergency response center received a complaint in February from a tenant living in the Lilac Street property. The tenant told officers Feb. 5 she was living at the property with two children. Following an inspection, officers cited the property with 12 violations.<\/p>\n
The front porch roof was collapsed and pipe in the basement had burst, resulting in standing water on the floor, the complaint says. Electric work had been conducted without permits, and extension cord wiring had been spliced and used for light switches and bulbs.<\/p>\n
Some light fixtures and switches were taped to the walls.<\/p>\n
Water damage was found in several rooms, and holes were discovered in multiple walls and ceilings. Rat feces also was seen in the residence.<\/p>\n
The tenant and her children vacated the property in late February, and the city\u2019s Office of Community Health and Safety assisted, the complaint says. The entire property was condemned in March.<\/p>\n
Hearing scheduled for Oct. 7<\/p>\n
The tenant later told officers Guo sent her a text saying that he planned to move another tenant in and charge them more money, despite knowing the property was condemned.<\/p>\n
Guo and Shi were found guilty June 10 for the condemnation of the entire property, according to the complaint.<\/p>\n
Officers saw people unloading boxes from a truck and carrying them into the property on Aug. 13. The tenant told officers they were primarily using the property for storage.<\/p>\n
Neither Guo or Shi had attorneys listed in online court records.<\/p>\n
A preliminary hearing for both Guo and Shi is scheduled for 8 a.m. Oct. 7 in Pittsburgh Municipal Court.<\/p>\n
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