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Milwaukee tenants face move-out order after Christmas apartment fire
Tenants at a Milwaukee south side apartment complex say they are being forced out by Feb. 28 after a Christmas Day fire, while unclear communication is delaying access to retrieve their belongings.
MILWAUKEE - Tenants displaced by a Christmas Day fire at a Milwaukee south side apartment complex say they could soon lose hundreds of dollars as they race to move out under a looming deadline – with limited access to retrieve their belongings.
What we know:
The fire broke out Dec. 25 at an apartment building near 60th and Cold Spring, forcing residents to flee their homes and leaving the property uninhabitable. Dozens of families were displaced.
Leilani Majerus, 16, said her family woke that morning expecting to celebrate Christmas, only to rush out amid smoke and chaos.
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"Started hearing everyone shouting fire, fire, fire, so we were just trying to get out," she said.
Her father, Peter Majerus, said smoke filled the building.
"Could just see this wall of smoke when we opened the door," he said. "It was so thick you couldn't even see your hand in front of your face."
Some tenants were briefly allowed to return last month, but residents say that reprieve was short-lived. Tousha Henderson, who has lived at the complex for a decade, said tenants were later told to leave permanently.
"Jan. 20, we received a mutual lease termination. They said we need to be out by Feb. 28," Henderson said.
Dig deeper:
Tenants say property owner Enigma Properties has told residents they must have all belongings removed by that date or risk forfeiting their security deposits.
"If everything is not out, you get your security deposit forfeited," Peter Majerus said.
Residents claim property managers are allowing entry to the building only at certain times and have not clearly communicated when tenants can return to move their belongings.
"Property managers need to be communicating with us and they have not," Henderson said.
What they're saying:
Donald Piastowski, who has lived at the complex since 2017, said the uncertainty has taken a toll.
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"I’m nervous it’s going to happen again," he said. "You know, it’s hard to sleep when you’ve been through this."
Some tenants say they have reached out to Enigma Properties several times without success, leaving families with no response and nowhere to turn.
"They are just devastating me even more by not communicating and making me feel like, you just want to steal my money," said Henderson.
FOX6 reached out to Enigma Properties several times by phone and email but did not receive a response.
Milwaukee apartment building fire; tenants faced with tough decision
Some tenants are back home after a Christmas Day fire. Now, they say they are faced with unlivable conditions.
The Source: The information in this post was collected and produced by FOX6 News.