Merrillville, Indiana apartment building evacuated due to unsafe living conditions
CHICAGO (CBS) –A building at an apartment complex in Merrillville, Indiana, was shut down on Wednesday due to concerns over compromised structural integrity and unsafe living conditions.
The Merrillville Fire Department responded to the building at the Hickory Ridge Lake Apartments in the 5600 block of Hayes Street on Wednesday, according to town officials. Police were called around 9:30 a.m. to help evacuate about 40 residents. All tenants were safely removed.
"It's terrible here," one resident told CBS 2. "It's truly really terrible here."
The Merrillville Fire Department came to inspect the property after receiving complaints and Chief Edward Yerga told CBS 2's Suzanne Le Mignot what firefighters saw when they arrived at the complex.
"He just happened to look over and saw the exterior wall of the building bowing out considerably from the second and third floor which is immediate cause of concern for the safety of the residents," Yerga said.
The town said the Hickory Ridge complex has "been the focus of attention" from Merrillville Code Enforcement for several months. Officials had been trying to get the complex to come into compliance with town ordinances being violated.
The town accused current and previous owners of a "lack of cooperation" to address the issues at the apartment complex. Officials said in the press release they've heard complaints of water leaking, overgrown grass, and garbage not being collected in a timely manner.
The Better Business Bureau lists three customer complaints on its website regarding the Hickory Ridge Lake Apartments. The complaints, all listed in 2021, discussed several issues including a lack of communication from the management about their lease, concerns over water quality, and finding dead bugs and mold in the apartments.
"From what we're told, they're not responsible for mold," said resident Joseph Payton. "That's something the tenant should be taking care of, but I don't think that's the way it should be."
Payton said he's tried to take care of the issue himself, but the management hasn't helped out.
Sharita Strong said her apartment also has mold.
"I got my babies in there," she said. "They've been going back and forth to the ER for breathing. I'm trying to tell them and nothing is being done."
Merrillville police are investigating whether any laws were broken by the current owner or management division of Hickory Ridge.
Town officials said the property is in the process of being sold to a new owner. The town hired a company to collect the excess garbage on Wednesday afternoon.
Yerga said the buildings in the complex were constructed in the late 1950s or early 1960s. Preliminary safety inspections have been done on all the buildings.
The fire department is requiring the owner of the complex to have each building inspected by a structural engineer. In March, the department found fire alarm and safety issues at the complex.
CBS 2 has reached out to the management company about the complaints from residents and officials but has not heard back.