The original winners of the Associated Students of Madison’s Worst House in Madison Contest, residents of 543 W. Mifflin St., withdrew their application Monday after their landlord threatened to sue if they continued the process.
“We were supposed to get the ‘Worst House in Madison,’ and we told our landlord and he went ballistic and said he would sue,” one resident said. “Our landlord will sue if anything gets out.”
The landlord confirmed this statement.
“They’ve got a different lawyer for every day of the week for that goddamn contest,” he said.
The landlord said the students seemed upset upon learning they had won the contest.
“They called me in tears and told me they made a mistake,” he said.
The landlord, who said he owns “a bunch” of properties in the campus area, said the students thought the contest was a joke, and made up stories to win prizes.
“When you give money to someone they will fabricate something,” the landlord said.
Although she would not comment on this particular case, Christina McCabe Wagner, co-chair of ASM’s Tenants’ Rights Committee, said many students are deterred from entering the contest because of similar worries.
“It’s been a problem, not just with this particular case,” McCabe Wagner said.
The contest was started as part of the campaign to initiate discussion about poor housing conditions in Madison.
The landlord said nothing good comes from the contest.
“ASM did nothing with this contest but hurt people’s feelings and alienate them and bring a lot more hate into this world,” he said.
The tenants said the problem lies not within the house, but with the upkeep of the property.
“It’s just that a lot of weird things have happened,” a resident said.
She cited an instance where the sewage system backed up.
The landlord said the tenants intentionally caused the backup on the day the committee surveyed the house.
“The girls were throwing tampons down the toilet that day,” he said.
The landlord has no grounds on which to sue the tenants, said Ald. Mike Verveer, District 4.
“He couldn’t sue them for anything,” he said. “All they did was enter a contest for ASM.”
The tenants say they are happy with their decision to withdraw from the contest because it prompted the landlord to fix problems in the house, which he had previously ignored. One resident said an electrician is scheduled to come today, and Verveer said a building inspector will be there in the near future.
“Honestly, I think we scared the shit out of him, and that was enough,” the tenant said. “If anything gets worse we will contact [the Tenants’ Resource Center].”
The landlord said because the students have lived in the house for more than one year, they must be happy with the house.
However, a tenant said the issue was a monetary one.
“We couldn’t afford anything else,” she said. “I pay full tuition and I have car bills.”
The seven tenants each pay $322.50 monthly for the house and parking.
Verveer said the situation is indicative of a larger problem and that a city law that deals with landlord retaliation of any form exists to protect tenants.
“The tenants at 543 are not alone in their fear of their landlord,” Verveer said.
Verveer said the landlord should beware of the consequences of a suit.
“They may not have won the contest, but the landlord will face the wrath of the city if he follows through with this,” he said.
ASM will speak about the housing challenges faced by the new winners, who reside at 520 W. Doty St., at a press conference today.
