News 14 reports Wilmont Tenants’ Home Status Unclear
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By: Jessica Cervantez
RALEIGH – Last month, city housing inspectors declared the Wilmont apartment building unfit for human habitation. But it gave the owner 30 days to make repairs and improvements.
The deadline is up Saturday, and tenants have already received notices to move out.
Sean O’Neall, who has lived at the Wilmont for the last two and a half years, received an eviction notice Friday.
“It’s been a really confusing, stressful time,” O’Neall said. “I have no idea what’s going on with where I’m living. What am I supposed to do?”
O’Neall said he is confused because he thought if the owner of the Hillsborough Street building made repairs as the city asked, he would continue to be able to live there.
But John Austin, an attorney representing the tenants, said that now, the owner is asking them to leave.
“It seemed like our folks had received some mixed messages. It seemed like they were making improvements in order to allow my folks, or allow the Wilmont tenants to stay. But in light of this, it looks like they want everyone to leave,” Austin said.
During the ordeal, the tenants filed a lawsuit against David House, the building owner, citing a violation of the state’s Residential Rental Act and breach of contract.
Workers hired by House have been busy making last-minute repairs before a Monday inspection by the city.
“He’s been putting a lot of effort into it, a lot of work is going on here at the very end. Since we made our posting, a lot of work has gone into the property,” Roger Bonney, the housing inspector supervisor for the city of Raleigh, said.
Bonney said some of the progress made at the Wilmont, which was built in 1930, includes work on stairs and balconies.
But no matter the results of the inspection, it looks as if tenants may need to move anyway. And with a lack of information, they feel left out in the cold.
“It would be nice to get something in the mailbox that is not an eviction notice,” O’Neall said.
Several phone calls to David House, the owner of the apartment building, were not returned.
A hearing on the matter will be held Tuesday.
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