MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. (WJRT) – Some residents at a Mount Pleasant apartment complex were surprised when they were asked to move without warning.
The notice to tenants at the Village of Bluegrass came before classes resumed at Central Michigan University, giving them little time to arrange new housing alternatives.
“We had already paid rent that month and the previous months and it was very surprising,” Marian Sundin said.
Residents believe they deserve some money and an apology.
“Suddenly, no one warned us and told us we should be looking in case this happened,” Sundin said.
She and her roommate moved out of The Village at Bluegrass in mid-August after Sundeen received a surprise email saying they would need to evacuate due to the dangerous condition of the exterior stairs.
“I had 30 days to find a new place or sign a Google doc that said you could live here, but that’s not a guarantee,” Sundin said.
She said her stairs were fine, and some other people who received similar notices got this inspection document from Union Township detailing issues with stairs in four buildings. Sundin said this is not her building.
“What they said was still a threat, which doesn’t make sense to me because our stairs were fine,” she said.
Sundeen is upset that the complex did not do more to help with their relocation. She knows some people who only received three days’ notice. Her roommate, Riley Hickman, said she never received the email.
“They didn’t provide resettlement services like compensation or anything,” Sundin said.
She and Hickman were lucky to find new housing, but are now paying more for rent.
“Just a spur-of-the-moment move. I didn’t have the money to do it,” Sundin said.
I borrowed money for the move, the new security deposit, and the first month’s rent. She wishes the matter had been handled differently and they should have refunded last month’s rent.
The Village of Bluegrass issued a statement saying major repairs need to be made to some of the exterior stairs.
“Unfortunately, we have no choice but to vacate some apartments. All affected residents have either chosen to move to another unit in the community or have chosen to be released from their contracts without penalty,” the complex’s statement said.
Sundeen and 15 others are looking for legal representation. She said no lawyers they contacted in Mount Pleasant have expressed interest, but they are looking elsewhere and into a potential class action lawsuit.
