Plainfield, N.J. deems 2 buildings uninhabitable, forces residents out with only 24-hour notice
PLAINFIELD, N.J. -- Hundreds of Plainfield residents said Wednesday they became homeless overnight, after two neighboring apartment buildings were condemned.
The city said it wasn't aware of the state of disrepair until this week.
After the buildings were deemed unsafe by the city, residents of 501 and 515 W. 7th St. were told they had less than 24 hours to pack up and leave.
"Broken windows, poor ventilation in kitchens, and un-capped gas conductors that were active fire hazards," Plainfield Mayor Adrian O. Mapp said.
Apartment complexes of that size are inspected by the state every five years. The most recent was last year and resulted in 235 violations. Mapp said those violations were not communicated to the city, and it was only after a tenant complained that it took action. The mayor said the city can now only provide temporary housing for about five days.
"We don't have anywhere to go," one resident said.
"I have nowhere to live now. I don't know what to do," another said.
One tenant told CBS New York there was a rent increase in August and that he always paid by check. He said that the landlords would religiously cash checks from the 10th to the 15th of each month. This month, it was done on the 8th, a day before everyone was told they had to leave.
"You're missing the point. Safety comes first," Mapp said. "We can't send a letter to say get ready, this is gonna happen. When we were notified of the conditions, we had to respond immediately."
Tenants tell CBS New York the landlord told them they won't be getting their rent back and that the buildings will be fixed.
"That was a lie because then he went inside, and the police came and escort him out. He ran in the back door and ran back to the car, and everybody ran after him," tenant Mirna Castro told CBS New York in Spanish.
Watch Doug Williams' report
Tenants said the landlords have been impossible to reach since the city's announcement. As for the owners, their names appear on the website of the Cyclone Investment Group. The mayor said those same owners have now had four out of their six buildings in the area condemned.
Tenant Jose Menjivar said he has been reporting his apartment's condition to landlords for over a year, but has never heard anything back. Now, his family has to pack up and leave with nowhere to go.
The Murillo family was moving all their belongings into a garage as quickly as possible.
"Nobody have an answer. No have a solution. Nothing," Joel Murillo said.
He says he was among those who have been complaining about unsafe conditions for months.
"Last year, I call maybe three times 911," he said.
"The ceiling that just fell was probably a couple weeks ago, but the bathroom has been an issue for maybe over a year," tenant Christian Menjivar said.
During the day, neighbors brought food to hungry families and children, and the city fed them at night.
The Plainfield Performing Arts Center is being used as an emergency shelter, and families are also being offered temporary hotel stay.
"We can go to a hotel only for three nights, I think, that's it," Murillo said.
"Right now, I feel very bad because I have nowhere to live now," tenant Jose Menjivar said.
In a statement to CBS New York, the building owners say, "We are doing everything possible to return our tenants to their homes as quickly, safely and responsibly as possible."