A federal bankruptcy judge wrested control of six moribund apartment complexes from landlord Joshua Bruno on Monday, appointing an independent…
Former landlord Joshua Bruno, renowned for forcing low-income residents to live amongst fecal matter and toxic mold, is attempting to sell one of his multiple luxury vehicles through social media now that he’s declared bankruptcy and has been condemned by a federal judge.
In an online ad posted Wednesday, Bruno described his white 2011 Bentley as being in “excellent condition” — unlike his former rental properties — and slapped a $53,000 price tag on it.
Bruno, who has earned a reputation in New Orleans as a slumlord with little regard for the lives of struggling residents, posted the ad on the Tulane Classifieds’ Facebook group — a forum often used by poor and working-class people to sell items in order to make rent.
Members of the group took quick notice of Bruno’s ad. “Nice to know you used your hard-earned tenant money on a stupid expensive vehicle just to bring your kids to school lmao. You should be in JAILLLL,” one user wrote in response to the ad.
Bruno had previously been living a life of luxury, spending much of his time in Miami Beach while dodging the pleas of his desperate tenants and housing advocates, and allowing his five New Orleans area properties to fester with vermin, sewage leaks and other public health concerns.
The Times-Picayune reported earlier this year he had filed for bankruptcy in order to avoid foreclosure on the apartments, which collectively housed more than 450 units, though many were in such bad shape they’d been abandoned by frustrated tenants who had become ill.
He has also been accused of misspending more than $800,000 in insurance money he received in the wake of Hurricane Ida to make repairs.
In July, federal judge Meredith Gabill ordered him to turn over his properties and his financial records, while censuring him for causing his tenants, including children, to live in dangerous conditions. In addition to various infestations, renters also suffered from fires due to damaged electrical equipment while Bruno raked in millions of dollars in rent. Conditions were so dire, the Cantrell administration allocated funding for emergency assistance and to relocate people.
Debris lies scattered across a common area at the Washington Gardens Apartments, a Central City complex previously owned by Joshua Bruno. On July 25, 2022 a judge issued an order for the demolition of the complex.
Gabill didn’t mince words when describing Bruno, saying in her ruling he acted “solely in his own interest” and was known to “flout or skirt laws, rules, regulations and ethics.”
Tulane Classifieds, where Bruno posted about the car — and said that he will be selling another Bentley next month — is a social media group that was started by college students so they could buy and sell miscellaneous furnishings and textbooks, seek new roommates, and post queries about jobs. The group’s membership has swelled to 94,000 and encompasses people from all walks of life. Popular topics in the group include buying and selling furniture and mocking landlords for posting overpriced rental units.
Bruno boasted the luxury vehicle is “professionally cleaned weekly and detailed quarterly. Drives brand new and rarely had passengers other than children to or from school…Custom leather Bentley floor matts (sic) and door down lighting with Bentley logos to match speed interior seats.” He also offered to include a “brand new in bag, never used Bentley logo car cover interior padding.”
No one in the group expressed any interest in purchasing the automobile — at least not in the five hours since it posted — but plenty of comments indicated disgust. After all, the cost of the vehicle alone is twice the salary of many of the group’s members.
Shortly before 4 p.m., moderators shut down the post for further comments.
