Real Horror House Of New Jersey? Joe & Melissa Gorga’s Tenant Blasts ‘Slumlord’ Landlords As Tenant’s Home Inspection Report Uncovers Water Damage, Garbage Bags & Busted Pipes -- Inside Their Moldy Mansion
July 10 2014, Published 6:14 p.m. ET
Joe and Melissa Gorga’s dream home has turned into a nightmare for their New Jersey tenant. RadarOnline.com has exclusively learned that a recent home inspection uncovered “debris,” “mold,” and worse in the pricey property — and now the tenant is fighting back, calling Joe a “slumlord!"
The Gorgas’ tenant Kai Patterson enlisted a home inspection after the reality stars filed a lawsuit to evict him citing he “failed to uphold his financial obligations.” Denying the claims, he told RadarOnline.com that the report shows just what he has had to deal with.
After a review of the property on July 7, the inspector noted a whopping 35 defects requiring attention, including structural issues on the front steps and a loose outer column intended to hold the facade upright, water and gutter damage from the balcony to garage, missing shower stalls, inoperable lights, exposed walls, cracks, and even a bathroom that has been covered with cloth.
And for all the Bravo fans who thought the Gorgas lived in a spectacular mansion, the photos in the report show something far less glamorous.
Pictures of the broken-down areas depict an alarming state of disrepair, with abandoned garbage dumped in the yard in blue trash bags, a gutted second kitchen, and fireplaces stuffed with rags!
Most shocking of all, Patterson claims the Gorgas are turning a blind eye to these issues even with the report as proof.
“They have denied these problems exist,” he said, after the report was sent to their realtor.
Patterson alleges that the famous family also claims he was the one who caused some of the problems.
“They’re alleging I broke the sprinkler system,” he said, adding that the Gorgas want him to pay a $4,000 water bill.
“The water bill fees were incurred before I took possession of the property,” Patterson said, claiming that they began adding up in October 2013, while he didn’t take possession until February 28, 2014.
“The sprinkler system was turned on the night before I went to court and they confirmed in a document to my attorney that the landscaper turned it on,” said Patterson.
“The next day is when I saw the water gushing and they’re alleging that I purposely broke it when Mr. Gorga came out to the property with a representative from the water company in March, because he was outraged that the water bill was $10,000,” he continued. “He Gorga said there was no way the property could have a water bill of that magnitude. The area where the sprinkler system was broken was covered with snow. Which is why the pipes burst!”
This isn’t the first time the TV couple, who are proving they may be more like his troubled sister Teresa Giudice, has been in legal hot water. In 2012, they were sued by Starlite Window Manufacturing Co. Inc. for $25,000 in unpaid work, which was later settled. According to reports, Gorga has faced 26 liens and civil court judgments in New Jersey dating all the way back to 2002 for amounts up to $20,000.
“I wasn’t aware of the prior lawsuits against them or being a slumlord,” Patterson added.
Patterson said Gorga eventually paid $5,000 of the water bill, but claims the remaining amount is up to his tenant to fork over, which Patterson simply calls “insane.”
“This is a guy who has numerous lawsuits and financial problems and he is trying to get me to be responsible,” he said.
Patterson claims he gave the Gorgas $25,000 to go toward the monthly rent and the purchase price in order to fix the problems, which he says weren’t addressed.
“Wait a minute!” explained Patterson. “Half of the items were known prior to me taking possession and agreed to. The others were not known and disclosed when I took possession and agreed to. And now others came out in home inspection that the inspector said he Gorga had to have known.”
Patterson said he did a walk-through with Gorga last September to avoid any problems.
“I wanted rooms painted, there were no steps in the garage, there were a lot of things he’d said he’d do,” said Patterson.
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Freezing conditions prohibited a second walk-through in February, but the new tenant was assured by Gorga “everything is the same; the house has been shut down,” Patterson told RadarOnline.com.
“He gives me the keys and the day I moved in water is barely coming out of the faucets.
“We didn’t know the pipes had burst.”
Despite his desperate attempts to make the house more livable, Patterson says he can’t improve the conditions without permission from the Gorgas, who technically still own the dilapidated estate.
“The lease requires me not to fix the items until they approve,” he said, “so my hands are tied behind my back!”
