Party of the first part, and
78 Livonia Avenue LLC
Party of the second part
Witnesseth, that the party of the first part, in consideration of ten thousand dollars and other valuable considerations paid by the party of the second part, does hereby grant and release unto the party of the second part…
A record of the building’s sale, Jason realized.
And there was something else in the folder: a handwritten petition from about two years earlier—January 25, 1976.
To Richard Wong:
We are writing to inform you that the tenants of 78 and 80 Livonia Avenue will not pay rent until The Demands, detailed below, are completely addressed. For years we have endured egregious conditions in violation of the city’s housing code law, and our requests for repairs have been repeatedly ignored. It is our right to live in decent conditions, and your responsibility to ensure them. Until then, we will save our rent in an escrow account.
THE DEMANDS
Full restoration of all cracked and caving ceilings, including the 78 Livonia 2L Bathroom, 78 Livonia 1R Kitchen, 80 Livonia Avenue 3L Bedroom, and 80 Livonia 3R Kitchen.
Extermination of rats and roaches in both buildings.
Removal of mold on ceilings/window frames in the bathrooms on all floors of both buildings.
Replacement of malfunctioning boilers and radiators.
We make these demands from necessity and because they are our human rights. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights adopted by the United Nations states that “Everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for the health and well-being of himself and of his family, including food, clothing, housing and medical care and the right to security.”
We await your response and action.
Cosigned:
Lina Rodriguez Armstrong
Harry Eugene
John Coleman
Sam Jenkins
Sylvia Jenkins
Patricia Taylor
Ria Quincy
Evelina Garcia
Louise Rivera
Paul Laguerre
Benoit Laguerre
Mr. and Mrs. Reynolds
Jason held the papers to his chest, then stuck them back in the folder and tucked the folder in his bag to bring to Sadie. This was the most concrete evidence yet. His father had been unable to take care of the building, as shown by the tenants’ letter. And so he had sold it.
But where were the address books?
