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Sewage and mold force residents out of condemned apartments

Posted at 12:00 AM, Aug 22, 2012
and last updated 2012-08-22 13:04:15-04

HOPEWELL, Va. (WTVR) - residents at Broadway East apartments in Hopewell woke up to the smell of sewage, danger signs and evacuation orders Tuesday.

“The officer knocked on the door this morning,” said resident Shelia Morse. “He said if you can leave sooner, leave sooner because he said it’s a hazard for the baby.”

City of Hopewell officials condemned the property after finding mold, human waste and sewage in the basement of the apartment complex.

Residents said KRS Holdings, Inc. own the property.

“I mean they need to put us up somewhere,” Morse said. “Some of us have nowhere to go.”

“I found out this morning we had to evacuate our building,” said resident, Frank Graves, III. “And, when we called code enforcement, they told us the landlord knew, but they never came to us.”

“I’m trying to find a home for my kids and me,” he added..

Dozens of families in all 26 occupied units at the apartment complex have until Friday to leave their apartment homes.

Assistant City Manager for Development, March Atlman said in statement:

"The conditions at the property are unsafe and unsanitary and pose a threat to the health, safety and welfare of the residents. The City of Hopewell has taken the step of declaring the property unfit for habitation, and requested the tenants vacate the premises. 

The City of Hopewell is acting in the best interests of the tenants of the apartment complex. While we are sympathetic to the residents' difficult situation, we cannot allow our citizens to live in the conditions that exist on the property."

CBS 6 tried to get a hold of KRS Holdings, Inc. after hours. They did not return our calls.

Meanwhile, Altman says he’s been dealing with problems at East Broadway Apartments on and off for the past two years.