Milwaukee apartment fire; tenants allege property removed without consent

MILWAUKEE - After a mid-December apartment fire on Milwaukee’s northwest side forced tenants out of their building, several residents say they are now trying to figure out what happened to their belongings.

Tenant says items disappeared overnight

What we know:

The fire happened Sunday evening near 105th and Lancaster. Tenants say they were told by building owner Berrada Properties to clean out their apartments as soon as possible following the fire.

But some residents say when they returned, their units had been entered and their possessions were gone.

Aaron Henderson said he was unable to remove all of his belongings on the first day. When he returned the following morning, he said the situation had changed dramatically.

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"I came back the next morning and Berrada had opened up the units for people to come in but everybody noticed that all their doors had been demolished, and their things are gone, and I’m one of them," Henderson said.

Henderson initially believed his belongings had been stolen and filed a police report. He said police later told him the property owner had entered his apartment and removed the items.

"They took all my TVs, the living room set, dining room, bedroom set, tools," Henderson said.

Waiver dispute raises questions

Dig deeper:

In a text message sent to tenants, Berrada Properties said residents would be asked to sign a waiver allowing the company to dispose of any remaining items after belongings were removed and keys were returned. The message also stated a staff member would walk tenants through the process.

Henderson said he never signed such a waiver and provided screenshots showing messages he sent to the property owner that he says went unanswered.

"I didn’t sign it then because I still wanted to come and get my stuff out," Henderson said.

Legal gray area

Big picture view:

Under Wisconsin law, landlords may treat property as abandoned if a tenant moves out or is evicted and leaves belongings behind. However, in many cases, the law restricts landlords from taking or disposing of tenants’ personal property.

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It remains unclear what happened in this case. Berrada Properties did not return calls or emails seeking comment by deadline.

Tenants still waiting for answers

What they're saying:

"It’s been rough, it’s been pretty rough," Henderson said.

He said he still has not recovered his belongings, and several neighbors say they are facing the same situation.

"I’m not going to just be swept under the rug," he said. "This wasn’t okay, I worked hard for my stuff."

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