Evicted Within Days: Johnson County Residents Urged to Vacate Apartments in 48 Hours

GARDNER, Kan. (KCTV) -- Numerous families were busy relocating from a dilapidated apartment complex throughout the day. Gardner .

The city deemed all units at Aspen Place as "unsuitable for living" due to safety concerns. Individuals residing in this apartment complex must vacate their homes by Wednesday night.

The water system and lack of access for emergency responders are the biggest concerns because they pose risks to public safety.

A representative from the municipal government mentioned that the water infrastructure is seven decades old and has significantly degraded. They stated that the sprinkler system lacks sufficient water pressure to function properly during a blaze within the structure. Additionally, issues with the state of the pathways on the site have been raised; reportedly, these routes are in such poor shape that emergency service providers face difficulties when trying to reach the structures swiftly.

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Gardner leaders provided the following orders for residents:

• Evacuate the apartments within 48 hours after getting notification.
• Starting Thursday residents can only access apartments during daylight
• Starting Thursday, nobody will be permitted to stay in an apartment past sunset.

The city officials mentioned that they have distributed lists of available assistance to the residents. Additionally, people are advised to examine their renters' insurance policies and explore whether aid is currently accessible.

“The city understands the hardship this causes and does not make this decision lightly,” City Administrator Jim Pruetting said. “However, continuing to allow residents to live in these conditions would be unsafe and irresponsible.”

Dylan Kirby mentions that he was at his workplace, talking on the phone with his fiancée when she heard someone knocking at the door. It turned out to be law enforcement officers posting eviction notices requiring everyone to leave the premises by Thursday. These notices were posted on each front door.

My initial response was sheer panic," stated Kirby. "When someone tells you that you've got only 48 hours to clear out everything from your home and locate another place to live, it seems quite unrealistic. You can't simply bundle up your entire existence and find a new dwelling within two days.

Other community members who talked to KCTV5 mentioned that the announcements were put up when they were away at their jobs, leading them to discover the situation via social media platforms which prompted many of them to hurriedly return home.

Kirby says they recently re-signed another lease, but they began noticing problems halfway through their first lease.

“A first it was kind of like well, every place has problems every now and again, but it was reoccurring,” said Kirby. “It’s hard to not get upset and disappointed at the complex. They say they will fix something and then it doesn’t happen or they will say they fixed something and it wouldn’t be fixed properly, so it would break within the next couple of days.”

He lives just a few buildings from a massive hole in the road that’s not been blocked off after a fire truck got stuck. Several residents say that problem was what pushed the City of Gardner to condemn the complex. They all say they knew it would happen eventually, they just didn’t think they would have so little time to find a new place.

We're going to have to stay with her mom for now," Kirby explained. "There's another property we plan to check out later this week to potentially relocate there. It's quite stressful and far from perfect, but let's hope things work out according to our plans.

Although Kirby and his fiancé have a place to stay, some people who talked to KCTV 5 do not have one.

“I and my two dogs might end up homeless,” stated Cristy Mueller. “We could wind up living in our car since I don’t have any family around who can assist us at present. We have no place to go.”

Multiple inhabitants commented on the temporary solutions the complex planned to implement rather than addressing the problems directly. Candice Walker has been residing there for the past year. She mentioned that the structure where she resided was declared unsafe about a month back.

It's a grim scenario," stated Walker. "Many of us have nowhere to turn. Once we pay for housing, there isn't anything left over. I receive disability as I'm blind. They claimed they provided handicap-accessible units; well, they certainly do not. It's been quite an ordeal.

Within the apartments, inhabitants turned on taps only to find minimal or no water flowing from them. They mentioned that the complex had installed portable toilets beside the trash bins for residents to use as bathrooms.

Currently, you can see moving trucks, trailers, and vehicles lining the streets. The community utilized social media platforms to disseminate information, which resulted in many individuals arriving equipped with packing boxes and plastic containers to assist others in organizing their possessions. Additionally, they provided food, water, and various supplies to the inhabitants of the apartment complex.

“One volunteer stated, ‘We're simply contributing our share to assist those around us.’”

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People who have queries regarding this choice should reach out to the municipality's helpline at (913) 884-2700.