22 Lindley Towers residents reach agreement with building's owners after last week's partial collapse
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Almost two dozen tenants of a Logan apartment building that partially collapsed last week have reached an agreement with the building's owners. The agreement was made after a four-and-a-half-hour-long hearing. It boils down to the building's owners having to pay up after some serious allegations.
Philip Pulley had little to say as one of several defendants in a lawsuit involving Lindley Towers and some of its residents.
The lawsuit was filed days after the facade of the seventh floor of Lindley Towers in Logan partially collapsed a week ago.
It alleges some residents had complained about leaky ceilings, mold and mice and roach infestations to building management, but those complaints had been ignored.
Attorney Michael Yanoff represents the defendants.
Both sides attended a hearing inside a City Hall courtroom Thursday and reached an agreement.
Under the agreement, 22 residents of Lindley Towers will get their first and last months of rent back. They will also get their security deposit.
The residents will be put in a hotel for the next month.
The hearing was the first time residents got a chance to hear from the realty company since the partial building collapse.
"It's been traumatic, like traumatizing," Latoya Heard, a former resident of the Lindley Towers, said. "It's been scary not knowing what's going to happen in the future."
“Slap in the face.” Residents say they were given this contract about 30 minutes before their shelter was set to expire Tuesday by SBG. It says they’ll put them up in a hotel in exchange for lease termination and release from liability. @CBSPhiladelphia https://t.co/KpMLETCI0I pic.twitter.com/rrMR8x9TRd
— Jasmine Payoute (@jpayoute) September 22, 2022
Many residents told CBS Philadelphia that they believe it's a fair agreement.
"You can take your money now," one tenant said. "They're saying, basically, if you want to take your money right now, you might not get it today. The possibility you can get it before this week is out."
But some said they didn't have much of a choice.
"People are ready to take their money and run because they're scared," another tenant said. "They're tired we've been going through this for a while week. We're tired."
CBS Philadelphia asked Pulley, who was identified as a defendant in the lawsuit, what is the future of Lindley Towers, but he would not provide an answer.