Imagine a month with no heat or hot water. That's what's happening for the tenants of Edgewater apartments in Eaton Rapids.
FOX 47's Alani Letang has been following this story for a week now. Although some residents said they have seen some result, but not enough.
Letang went back to the apartment complex Monday after residents told her the out of state owners were in town.
After numerous attempts to speak with them so we could ask them questions, Letang was asked to leave the property.
"I'm asked to call the police if you don't leave," an Edgewater Apartment leasing agent told Letang. The owner's representative told the leasing agent to relay this message when Letang asked to speak with them.
"You can call them, but is there any way I could speak with him," Letang asked
FOX 47 learned the owner's son was in meeting with Eaton Rapids Mayor Paul Malewski.
But after nearly a month without hot water and heat, the process isn't moving fast enough for residents. Even though residents have told Letang they are appreciative of the mayor for being very critical in getting their heat turned back on.
"Ahhhhh, in the shower. I have to heat water on the stove in order to bathe and that's not acceptable to me," said Judy Mathews, an Edgewater Apartments tenant.
Mathews is still without hot water and she told Letang that she felt her dishes and clothes can't get as clean. But says she considers herself one of the lucky few.
"Because there are people who still don't have heat and they're running heaters to get the temperature up to where it's tolerable," Mathews said.
Here is what we know about the owner of the complex, Harvest Properties:
-The company is based out of Connecticut
-They own properties in Michigan. Located in Lansing, Jackson, Grand Ledge and several in the Detroit area
-They are also in Ohio, Massachusetts, Kentucky, Arkansas, North Carolina, Georgia and Tennesee
Letang called Harvest Properties several times to get a statement. They told her they are aware of the issue and referred us to another number where they told us they weren't sure when the problem would be fixed. Or whether residents would get any compensation.
When we asked Mathews how she felt about paying her rent, she answered: "that's a touchy subject I really don't know what to say about that."
So are these tenants legally responsible to pay for rent even with all of these problems? The answer is yes they are still required.
However, according to the "Tenant- Landlord Michigan Legislation Guide" tenants can put their rent in an escrow account until the landlord has met their needs. Moreover, "The landlord must have been provided with notice of the problem and must have been given a reasonable amount of time to fix the problem," according to the guide.
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