Roseville renters forced to leave after balcony collapse
Dozens of Roseville families are being forced to vacate their apartments by the end of June after a balcony collapse alerted the city to many safety problems at Shadowbrook Apartments.
The city told KCRA 3 on Thursday that the buildings, which are more than 30 years old, have not been well maintained.
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Watch report: Some tenants in Roseville forced to leave after balcony collapse
A balcony collapsed two weeks ago with an 11-year-old on it, although the child was not injured.
“There’s dry rot everywhere," one resident said. "Any piece of wood you touch is dry-rotted. I think it’s really inexcusable that they took so long to start remodeling the place."
The families affected were given notice Tuesday that they must move out by the end of June.
That’s after the city forced Watt Property Management to stop construction at the complex and find ways to meet minimum code standards before continuing with the repairs.
"The primary safety issue is the manner in which construction was being done, and getting residents in and out of their units, so there was no pedestrian protection," said Gene Paolini, a building officer for Roseville, adding that the workmanship of the repairs was shoddy.
The city also told KCRA 3 that in addition to more deck collapses, the apartments also have problems with roofs, drainage, mold and weather proofing.
"It’s very stressful," said Gary Sausser, who's scrambling to find a place. "I’ve had a hard time sleeping -- having headaches every morning."
The apartment manager said she had no comment. KCRA 3 reached out to the main office of Watt Property Management, but a person there said the company also had no comment at this time.
According to a notice distributed to affected tenants, they will not be charged June rent and will get their full security deposit back, along with $500 for moving expenses.
"We understand this poses a great inconvenience to you, and we deeply regret having to ask you to leave your homes," the notice said.
Still, one person said it was far from ideal.
"I think it’s 27 families dumped into the city of Roseville, which doesn’t have much rentals," the resident said. "I think it’s going to be tough for people."
The city said all the buildings at Shadowbrook will have to be repaired eventually.
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