Mount Vernon residents still seeking answers after devastating apartment fire.
At a community meeting Tuesday night with the mayor’s office and the Red Cross, residents shared growing frustration.
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Mount Vernon residents displaced by last week’s massive fire at Cottage and Park Avenue say they’re still struggling to get answers — and to retrieve the most basic belongings left behind in the damaged building.
At a community meeting Tuesday night with the mayor’s office and the Red Cross, residents shared growing frustration, including Wayne Martinez, who has been staying at a nearby shelter since the blaze.
“They’re not answering the phones…they’re not answering the phones,” he said of the building’s owners — listed as Klein Property and Exclusive Management. A staff member confirmed to News 12 that Exclusive Management oversees the property, but no one was available for comment.
A residents group sent News 12 a detailed letter outlining grievances, including the lack of access to vital documents still inside the structure, including marriage certificates, passports and birth records.
Many, like Martinez, now face soaring rents while they wait for the next steps.
Despite Tuesday night's meeting, residents say this ordeal is far from over.
