A condo resident is plagued by a neighbor’s drug addict visitors
Pathways Homes provides housing for chronically homeless and mentally ill individuals. But when those tenants cause problems, it’s difficult to get them evicted.
That’s what one tenant we’ll call H) found when the Pathways tenant living across the hall from them home at the Hollybrooke Condominium in Seven Corners began making their life miserable.
The tenant, who goes by John, lets homeless people squat in his apartment at Greenwood Drive. When H leaves her home at 6 a.m. to go to work, they have seen up to 10 people at a time sleeping and passed out in the hallway and stairwell.
The tenant’s visitors bang on his door at all hours of the day and night. “It’s obvious they’re doing drugs there,” H says. H has heard people in the hallway yelling, “open the door, bro,” then leave five minutes later, after apparently buying drugs.
H has seen people smoking meth in the corridor, groups of people hanging out in front of the building smoking weed, and drug deals in the laundry room. One man they saw in the hallway was “just sitting there smoking meth in front of me.”
There’s also been a lot of loud arguing, fighting, and throwing things inside the problem unit.
The visitors get into the building because the tenant gave them the code to open the front door. H some of them used to camp out nearby on Patrick Henry Drive before Hollybrooke designated that area a no-trespassing zone.
They say Pathways doesn’t check up on its tenants enough. A representative from Pathways has been to H’s building several times in recent months, but has taken no action to address her complaints.
Shawn Flaherty, a spokesperson for Pathway Homes, declined to talk about specific cases.
The nonprofit owns, leases, and manages more than 500 properties in Northern Virginia, including at least 50 in Mason District. Pathways serves about 2,000 people each year.
According to Flaherty, “We work closely with the communities that welcome our clients to uphold our commitment to being a great neighbor while meeting our mission.”
The narcotics officer with the police department who is investigating the drug abuse at Hollybrooke also declined to comment.
H is pursuing legal action to get the problem tenant evicted. He had already been served an unlawful detainer and had been given 21 days to fix the problems and 30 days to move out. Those deadlines passed and he is still here.
At a court date on May 9, Pathways’ attorney said Fairfax County is tenant-friendly and that a landlord needs proof of squatting before a tenant can be evicted.
The judge set a court date of May 23. Hernandez doesn’t have an attorney, but she has plenty of evidence and is building a timeline, collecting police reports, and gathering proof.
H can’t move out because she’s the caretaker for her 84-year-old grandmother, who bought the condo at Hollybrooke in the 1980s.
“My grandmother didn’t come here from Bolivia and work for years as a cleaner to save up to buy a condo – now paid off – to end up with drug dealers in the building,” H says.
“It’s just so insane,” they say “I get it; Seven Corners is not a good area, but it’s never been this bad.” At one point, children living on her floor saw a man with his pants halfway down. “It’s just so sad they have to see this.”
At one point, H called the police after one of the tenant’s visitors rang her doorbell at 2 a.m. “The guy was on fentanyl. He was arrested. The cops investigated, and he was released and came back.” The police told H the people hanging out at the building are not harmful, just addicts.
Related story: Residents concerned about sidewalk squatters
13 responses to “A condo resident is plagued by a neighbor’s drug addict visitors”
Leave a Reply to Chasqui Bob Cancel reply
I feel so bad for Brianna Hernandez and her mother. It is crazy to me that this would be allowed. The neighbor was given a deadline to fix the issues and has not, now it is time for him to get evicted. Shame on Pathway Homes for allowing this to continue. I understand they are a nonprofit that does do good work but they are putting folks living in this community in danger. I wish there was a way we could help this woman. Thank you Annandale Today for writing this article. Makes me angry.
This is egregious and sad, and should not be the solution to disbanding encampments. Please Ms. Hernandez, if you are reading comments, sell that paid off condo and move.
I’ll bet that selling a condo in Culmore will not get you enough money to buy housing anywhere near here.
I feel bad for Brianna and I hope she able to get the support she needs to get this man out. Unfortunately, Mason District politics and culture won’t be in her favor as the area tends to bow down to liberal policies and the nonprofits that are abundant in Seven Corners and the Crossroads.
There should be more response by pathways to her complaints by law enforcement, the condominium board and Pathways. This is a blot upon an otherwise excellent organization. Selling units may e impossible with this going on.
Not true people on drugs can’t hurt you, they attack you for money.
I had the problem where I live, under the stairs Well, it’s scary. It was like drug shooting gallery, even in the day time..
I hope this lady gets the help she she need.
Glad my problem was solved. I living in Alexandria Virginia
Very sad that our elected leaders in Fairfax County promote this destructive activity.
Very sad. I hope Pathways does right by this lady. No one should have to live like this.
This isn’t the only complex experiencing this issue. Pathways purchases affordable units and does very little to supervise or follow up with their tenants. My neighbor is having this exact problem in Annandale. So the people who worked and saved to buy their units years ago have this nonsense to contend with making their everyday lives difficult. But no worries, Pathways will jump in and purchase them if they decide to sell.
I live in a condo complex that has a few units owned by Pathways. (It’s near this one but I don’t want to dox myself by saying where I live.) I know for a fact that Pathways, Christian Relief Services, and others put problem clients into units they own. I feel bad for the tenant and their mother. They should not have to live like that. I hope the issue can be dealt with ASAP. Hopefully now that it’s been publicized on this blog, action will be taken.
A little advice: when looking for a condo to buy in Fairfax County, go to https://icare.fairfaxcounty.gov/ffxcare/search/commonsearch.aspx?mode=address and see who owns units there. This wouldn’t have helped tenant, who probably bought their unit long before Pathways came around, but it may help someone else out there.
More condo complexes should have rules requiring owners to live in the units they buy for at least a year before selling. That would keep the charities out.
Solution. Terminate 20 percent of the grants to Pathways each month. That should get their attention
Please let us know when this situation is resolved. I hope it will be soon!
Thank you for publishing this important story. Let’s hope ot gets the family the help they need dealing with this difficult situation.