Elmsford apartment fire victims say they haven't receive help to recover
Many tenants who live in the fire-damaged building complain of living without heat or hot water, nearly a month after the fire.
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Elmsford residents who were impacted by an apartment fire back in February say their calls for help have gone unanswered.
Latoyah Gibbon once lived in an apartment at the Nob Hill Apartments until the Feb. 7 blaze in the unit next door destroyed virtually everything she owned.
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She says she's asked for help from the landlord but to no avail.
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"They'll offer to re-house, but it will be at a higher cost like I'm a new tenant, and adding fees that will amount to about $200-plus," she said, adding that those conditions would be a hardship for her.
Many tenants who live in the fire-damaged building complain of living without heat or hot water, nearly a month after the fire. They say they're concerned about the structural integrity of the building as they continue to live there.
A News 12 crew on the scene on Sunday observed that some tenants were moving out.
Resident Lindsay Halper says she wants to move but will be forced to give 60 days' notice and pay 60 days' rent in order to break her lease.
"We have no hot water right now, we didn't have heat for about 11 days and management still wants us to pay full rent. We pay $3,315 in rent each month, yet we don't have actual basic utilities in our apartment. The car port underneath fell off and all the pipes are exposed," she said.
"We're living in mold. It's a fire hazard. All you can smell is the smoke around here. It's not conditions to live in at all," added longtime resident Nicole Davis.
Davis shared copies of correspondence sent by Harbor Group Management sent out to the impacted tenants.
One notice promises that heat and hot water have been successfully restored to the building.
Another notice says that "Once all inspections and cleaning are completed, tenants will be notified that they may return to their apartments."
Davis says she and other residents are now considering legal action against the management company.
News 12 reached out to the management company but had not heard back as of Sunday night.
