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HomeMy WebLinkAbout- Orders Letters and Photos - 24 SCHOOL STREET 9/28/2023 North Andover Health Department Community and Economic Development division NORTH A1'DOVER BOARD OF HEALTH ORDER TO CORRECT Issued under the provisions of 1.05 Code. of Massachusetts Regulations (C.MR) 410.E 00: Alliniinuirr Staarrdaards of 1-ilness for 11trrrrtan Habitation, State SanittarY Code, Chapter 11 Date: September 28,2023 To Owner: June G. 'llaornton,'Frustee June G. 'flaornton family`t'rust 20 Sc:laool.Street North Andover, MA 01845 f�E: 24 School.Street, North Andover, MA 01.845 Dear Owner: The :North Andover I1ea.lth Department personnel conducted an authorized inspection. Of your property at the above referenced address on September 20, 2023 in response to a complaint filed with this Department. ]'he inspection revealed violations of the State Sanitary (.,'ode,Chapter 11 as listed on the attached Violation laorrn. You are hereby ORDERED to correct the violations within the time allotted on the enclosed form. Failure to comply within the specified tin-Le period will result in a fine of Lip to $500 per day' in accordance with 105 CMP 410.920 of the State Sanitary Code. 'fhe fine will continue to accrue until the subject property is brought into compliance with this Order to Correct. Each clay or portion thereof during which the violations continue shall constitute a. separate offense, You have the right to request a hearin f,, before the Board of f leMalth if you feel this Order to Correct should be modified or withdrawn. A request for said hearing rnust be made i.n. writing and received by the l lealth Departnaent within seven (7) clays from receipt of this Order. At said hearing you witl be given an opportunity to he heard and to present witnesses Foilnre to comply with earw order isvtaeelpw'srant iv the,irrovisions ref f 05 C"lt R 410.000 shall zipon conviction be fined not less than S10.00 near more than S500. /;raefr cdcxy",S°�'ailur e trr canr��ly witch ura oredrrr° s°hcaCC Cerr2.5titutey u sc.p annex Wolcaticrn(d 05 C"MR 4 d 0,92t1). Page l of 2 North Andover health Deparouent. 120 Main `street North Andover, MA 01845 Phone: 978.688.9540 Fax: 97 .C88.9542 and dOCUrneflUlry evidence as to why this Order should be niodified or %vid'uh-awn. All affected parties will be inforrned of the date,tinie and place of the hearing and of their right to inspect and copy all records concerning the roatter to be heard. You inay be represented [)y an attorney. You have a right to irlspect and obtain copies of all relevant records concerniiif,, the matter to be heard. ('onclitions n-tay exist which will allow the occupant of the resicl(,mce to eXCI-CiS(? IOP,al ri}'['ItSOLJtfined in the Nothe of'On-upt-oit's 1.egtd Ri,,Ifls and Respoiisibdifit^s issued by the Department Of PUblic I kalth Corninunity Sanitation Program (01.31'). If the dwelling unit is vacant or becomes vacant before the violations are corrected, the dwelling unit cannot be re-rented or re-occupied prior to compliance and prior to an inspection by the North Aridover Health Department in accordance with 105 CNIR 410.660. Pleas(,call the North Andover I lealth Departmerit at (978) 688-9540 for as re-inspection, A re-inspection performed by the North Andover Health Department is required. If you have any questions,comments or concerns, please feel free tc>call ine between the hours of8:004'10 on Monday, Wedtiesday and Thursday, 8:00-6:00 on '"FLICS(lav and 8M-12:00 on Friday, Any questions regardingr this matter can be answered thrOUfh the l'orth Andover Health Department. This is an important legal document. It xnay affect your rights. You should have it translated. Este es un clocurnento legal importante. FS posible clue afecte sys derechos. Deberia traduch-lo. F'ste 6 urn documento legal irnP ortante. Fie pole afetar seus direitos. Is aconselhAvel traduzi- lo. ................. Sincerely, .... .... Ufrz ............... ,-711M ILA W I ICR C North Aridover Public I lealth, Inspector CC: Brian LaGrasse, North Andover Director off"ublic I lealth; OCC U PA 11 t; Board of Health; File Sent via: ("ERT1171111,"D MAIL# 7020 '1810 0001 1,790'74'00 and; RCgUlar First Class Mail Page 2 of2 North Atidover flealth Department 12(1) ?'vlairi Street North Andover, !VIA Phone: 978.688.9540 F ax: 978.688.9542 • M North Andover Health department Community Development Division NORTH'I H A l~' I,) V ER BOARY) OF HEALTH VIOLATION I"OIZM 1)atc 9/20/2023 Time: 3:00 PM BOH Insl�ccO Shauacnc Pierce 1'rojl e.rty Address 24 Schoot Stet,t, North s1.z�do\,e °A 01 4 Regulation Tin efranie to 105 C1"V112 I)csc�°iltt an ('01111)ly 410.500 Water-stained ceiling tiles above kitchen sink. 30 daays _...... l..cawer kitchen cabinets observed darnagecl. "l"hc lace of`one ofthe 411.500 drawers is nnssing and drawer can not be used as designed. One of f° ,.the cabinet units has detached from the c(.)enter-and can not be �� days used. 41O1 500 Mold arccrrnrulation observed inside lower kitchen cabinets and 30 clays _ ...... ..... .... under sink. t"abinet surfaces underneath sink observed warped, water dall,ia ed, 41 t:1.5(ff�1 :30 days and no longer easily, gleanable ear watertight. 11ooncoa.rds in front of`kitchen sink cahserved water clarnaged. 410.500 '1"here is significant sl)arce between floorboards which is not 30 days cleanahle. `�carnc Portions of'thc flne>r srrrl'arcc brav�Ilccicd eel"f". _... ... . .... ..._ 410.50() Shower wall is in disrepair and no longer-watertight. 'l'here are art ;0 days least 2 tiles missing from the shower wall and covered by duct talae. 41.0.500 t'aulking/gr•car.at is darnaged in shower and is no Ionger° cleanable. 30 days 410.500 C o\ier around shower control observed missing. 30 days 410.500 Wall between shower and sink observed with babbling paint. 30 days c,vidcnca: ofwaatcr da male. ........ ....... _........ _...._.. _.... _._.._ 410.500 Large cut out hole observed in wall between shower and sink. 30 days Paige 1 of'2 North , ridover Health Deiaaartnient: 120 Nlarira 2trect. North Andover, Play, 01845 f1h arse.: 978.688.c 540 Fax: 97 .()88. w47 ---------------------------- .......... ............ . .. ............. 410.500 Bathroom door missing door l nob. 7 days Comment: Occupant staled that water leaks from bottom of wall between the shower and sink when the shower is used. The shower A,as not turned oil during the time of the irarslarcction therefor no active leak w ass observed at this time. Violations noted meet the conditions of I05 CNIR 410,630 (A) ('ondition De:erned to L'Indanger or Materially Impair I lealth or Safety and t;a good faith effort must he made to correct within 4 hours of service. Additional violations may be present that were not able to he observed (Wring this raiaaspection ofthc unit.. Once all above areas are addressed, as reinspection, will occur to verity a.11 violations have corrected and to ensure no additional violations car hazards exist. This inspection report is signed and certified under the pains and penalties ofperjury. Ills acctor�, Si n:atnrc . ..._..__ Date: 9/20/2023 l....... ..,.. ,,.._ Page 2 ot'2 N' ::�rth Andover l.lealtlr Departnieaat 120 Main Street a.arth Andover, MA 01 45 Phone: 97tt,68 .9540 Fax, 97 .08 . 47 The Commonwealth ofMassach0Ksetts Department of Public ReaUth Notice of Occupants' Legal Rights and Responsibilities This document summarizes some of the legal options that you may have when the owner of a property you live in has not fixed certain problems im your home,aa required by the state Housing Code (106CA#R41O.0O8). advice.Talk toan attorney before you decide to withhold your rent or take other action described here. Safe and Healthy Rental Housing: Rental hOUSing in Massachusetts must r-neet minimum standards to protect the heaith, safety, and well-being of Occupants. The Housing Code, M/nirnunn Standards off7tnessforHunnomHob/tot/on (State Sanitary Code, [hopte/8), is the state regulation that sets these minimum standards.The Massachusetts Department Of Public Health, Bureau of Environmental Health's ([SP) issues this regulation, but the standards are enforced by local health departments.I CSP works with local health departments and the public to provide training and technical assistance about the Housing Code. For more inhormoiion, please see . Your Responsibility bm Keep Your House Safe and Healthy TheHmusing Code also has requirements that people living in rented hon'ies or apartments need to meet,There are sarrie problems like pests, mold, and keeping exits clear,that might need the owners and occupants to work together to fix tile problern. For example, Occupants need to make Sure there is no food or garbage left Out that could attract pests or keep their belongings out of exit hallways. If the local health department is doing an inspection,either by Your request or for another issue, the local health department rnay tell You there is something that you need to fix.The local health department may issue you an order to correct and give you a certain amount of time to fix the problem. Your Right to Safe and Healthy Housing and Protection from Retaliation If You think that conditions in your home are unsafe or unsanitary and may violate the Housing Code, you should contact your local health department. They will conduct free inspections of your home and will order your landlord to fix any violations of the Housing Code. You can find contact information for Your local health department by calling your city or town hall nr visiting their vvcbsite. City/town eebsites are listed at: . Your landlord is not allowed to raise Your- rent or,try to evict YOU just because you have made a complaint to them or to the |oca| hea|1hdepartnnentabuut1hevio|ations. Th[sisoa||edreta|iation, andyounnaybeab|etuxue1he |and;ordfor damages if this happens (KH.G.Lc-l85,s.18 and c.239, s.2A). Your Right to aHeahng You rnay ask for a hearing in front Of your local Board of l-lealth. You Must do this in writing and within the tin'leframes below. If you send a written request on time to the local health department, a hearing will be field within 14 calenclar days. if you do not make a written request within the timeframes below,you lose the right to a hearing.The chart below shows the reasons you r-nay request a hearing, and the tirrieframe you have to send the request. Your home was not inspected 30 days from the day you contacted health department The inspector did riot find viollations YOUthink exist 30 days frorn the last inspection by the health department The inspector did not issue an order to correct violations 30 days frorn the last inspection by thE! health department The inspector did not enforce the order to correct 45 days from when the owner received the order to correct Within five days after the hearing, the local health department is required to issue a final decision un your complaint /lO5 CMR 410.840). If you do not agree with the decision, or at any point throUghOUt the process,you can file an appeal in housing court. �oepand|ngon you rd,ynr town,this may also heca||eda Local Boa rdofHea|th(B0H)'Loca|Health Authoriu/'or|nspcctionaI Services Uepaument 1"Ns is the loca|code enforcement aLAI'mity responskfle for enforcing the regWations. Your Options if am Owner Does Not Fix the Problems |f Your landlord does not fix violations of the Housing Code in your,home'you may have some options as described below. These are not your only options, but they are comrnon actions that tenants take in these situations. Before taking legal action, contact an attorney to protect yourself. If YOU cannot afford an attorney,you may be eligibleforfree |ega| aid services. Goto ,to find available options for free legal advice.To find additional inforniation on tenant. legal rights and responsibilities, visit: or ma eu tocod orGo to Court If Your' landlord does riot fix the problerns that the local health department ordered them tO fix, Or'if You believe there are problems in Your horne that may be in violation of the Housing Code, YOU may also ask a Court in your area to order your landlord tocorrect the problems. To file a complaint, contact the Housing or District Court Clerk in your region. To find the closest I1VusingmrDistrict Court goto or . These Courts deal with cases about residential housing including eviction, property darnag$, and Housing Code enforcement. For help filing a complaint,You can contact Court Service Centers at . You can request that the Court order the landlord to: Fix the Problem: You or the local health department may file a petition in Housing or District COUrt to order the owner to fix the violations of the Housing Code (K8.G.Lc. l11, s. 127A, C). ondlor Refund Rent You Have Paid:Yen can file a complaint requesting that your landlord pay back all or part of the rent you paid during the time that there were Housing Code violations, You (-,an claim either 1) Breach nf Warranty @f Habitability or2) Unfair arid Deceptive Practices /K8,G.L c 93A\, or both. For both claims,you will need to prove that your horne had Housing Code violations, arid �hat the owner knew about the violations and did riot fix them. Breach of Warranty can also be filed by the local health departnient. Option 2: Withhold Rent Until Rep _qirs are Made If Your landlord does riot correct certoin housing code violations, you may be able to hold back sorne or all of your rent payment Until they make repairs (M,G.I... c. 239, s. 8A). Save the rent money you withhold.A judge may require you to pay all or sorne of it back. If they do and YOU don't have this rnoney,you may be evicted. Kyou withhold rent and your landlord tries to evict you from Your home, you will need to prove, at a rninin'lUrn, that: • Thevio|at|onsmayendamgerorrnaterW0yimpair1hehea|Lh, safety, orweU-beingofaten@nt-' • The rental property owner knew about the violations before you started withholding Your rent; arid • You did not cause the violations. Pp on 3. Make theAqpij�i�r _yourself State |au/allows you to use your rent money to pay for certain repairs (M.G.L c. 111, s.127L), arid not pay that amount in rent to your landlord. You cannot withhold more than 4 months' rent in a 12­nrorith period to pay for repairs. If you withhold sorne or all Your rent arid use it to make repairs and your landlord tries to evict you frorn your home,You will need toprove: • The local health department or Court determined that the violations rnay endanger or materially impair the health, safety, mr well-being of residential tenant; z • Tire landlord was issued an Order to Correct those violations; and • The owner did not start the repairs (or to sign a contract for,work)within 5 days after getting the Order and did not complete repairs within 14 days after receiving the notice ofviolations, if you meet certain conditions, you rnay be able to end your lease or rental agreement and move out within a reasonable time. Contact an attorney to find Out more about this option. If you cannot afford an attorney,you may be eligible for free legal aid services. Go to ma Lrf to find available options for free legal advice. These are serious violations which include problerris such as not having hear, hot water, electricity or gas, or exiLs that are blocked. xm:�v7nn9