Resident says she's waited a month after apartment fire to have full access to home
VAN BUREN TOWNSHIP, Mich. (FOX 2) - It has been weeks since a fire damaged a number of apartment complex units - tenants say they still don't have access to the building to salvage what they can of their belongings.
On March 3rd the fire broke out at the building that houses some apartments at Waverly On the Lake in Van Buren Township,
"The fire marshal - I spoke to them earlier - and they’re not 100 percent sure of how it started yet, they are still investigating with the Michigan State Police," said tenant Jennifer Renick. "Everyone in my building was displaced, we’re not allowed entry into the building.
"My apartment is smoke damaged, there’s a chemical smell in it. Almost everything in there is a complete loss."
And as weeks pass by, Renick says she and other tenants still don’t have full access to their belongings.
"The apartment complex isn’t doing what they need to do, they’ve been telling us since the beginning of this that next week you’ll have access," she said. "At the end of last week they said the beginning of this week you’ll have access."
After going to the apartment management, the manager blamed the city.
"They say they’re waiting for the city to approve us to go in there they need to inspect it, to make sure it’s safe for us to go in there," she said.
For now they are allowed entry only for a few moments to gather essential items. And they have to be accompanied by a member of the maintenance staff to get inside their apartment.
Residents can only grab was described as personal items
"We’ve been requested not to remove any other items from the apartment so that the insurance company can assess," she said.
FOX 2 went to the managers for answers and were told to call the corporate office in Chicago which we did, and we are still waiting on a response.
FOX 2 also contacted Van Buren Township officials for answers. They released a statement that reads in part:
"The Waverly management did express legitimate liability concerns about providing access to the building, as it did recently experience a fire. Our fire and building officials are actively working with the management at Waverly to address safety concerns related to the recent fire."
Some residents say they’re so frustrated that once they do get access to their items, they’re packing up for good.
"I’m not living here anymore," she said. "I’m done."
A representative from the township released a statement:
"Van Buren Township was contacted today by a local resident residing at Waverly on the lake apartments, which recently experienced a fire in one of their storage units. The resident expressed some frustration about being provided limited access to their apartment to collect some of their belongings.
"We contacted the management at Waverly and it was communicated to us that they have been providing access to the building and they were willing to provide additional flexibility. Further, the Waverly management did express legitimate liability concerns about providing access to building, as it did recently experience a fire.
"Our fire and building officials are actively working with the management at Waverly to address safety concerns related to the recent fire."
Waverly On the Lake resident Jennifer Renick.