House of horrors: Woman says absent landlord ignores her pleas

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A desperate resident is calling for help after living with leaky plumbing, mice, roaches and more.

FOX 2 found a mouse - and it is not a pet but one of the new tenants that Tamikia McGruder says is invading her home on Owen Street in Detroit.

"I'm fed up and I need to move," said McGruder, 41.

McGruder says she calls the house: "Hell on earth." She moved in during April of 2016, with her six children and now her fiancée and it didn't seem so bad. But since then, she says everything is breaking.

"(The radiator) gets like a boom, (thump) when it is heating up and stuff," McGruder said. "It seems like it is going to explode."

McGruder says there are holes all over the house with mice and roaches are coming in daily and she sees water leaking through her ceiling and into the basement.

"Look at that you can see downstairs," she said.

McGruder says she's been paying $750 in rent -- and stopped paying last month and now her landlord -- Mr. Davis -- who she says promised to make the repairs -- is threatening to evict her -- and said he laughs when she tries to confront him.

She said that when she was paying the $750 in rent to get some of the problems fixed, she said she saw people working on the unit next to hers.

"He's trying to get some money to put someone else in there," she said.

McGruder says the only bill she is behind on is the water bill and is sick of being lied to.

"Mr. Davis you need to come here and see how you like mice and roaches crawling on you," she said.

So FOX 2 decided to talk with Mr. Davis, finding him at Davis and Davis Tax Services.

The man answering the door admitted he was Ben Davis and said he owns the home on Owen Street. Davis says the house is falling apart because McGruder hasn't taken care of it.

"That house was in immaculate condition," Davis said.

FOX 2: "We looked at the house; it is not in immaculate condition."

"We have to fix it," he said. "It's being fixed."

While Davis sent paperwork to FOX 2 showing inspections in 2015 according to the city, Davis does own more properties and a $500 blight ticket was issued on Jan 20.

There is a hearing next week for unlawful occupation of a rental property without lead clearance. On top of that, the city says he's been ticketed 10 times and owes more than $1,500.

FOX 2: "Do you live like that?"

Davis laughs.

FOX 2: "It's not funny."

McGruder says she's already planning to find somewhere else to live and is hoping to get some of her rent money back; she's got a clear warning for everyone.

"I can't say it any better," she said. "I need to get the hell out of here."