Illinois apartment tenants said they were trapped inside units after property was boarded up

Harvey, Illinois residents living in an apartment building became trapped inside their units after their doors and windows were boarded shut, according to reports.

FOX 32 in Chicago reported that some residents in the apartment complex, located on S. Halsted Street, became trapped inside, and when videos made the rounds on social media, several people raised concerns.

Rudolph Williams said he was trapped inside one of the units and told the station he "didn’t hear anybody knock on the door" Friday morning before the door was boarded up.

While initial reports suggested Williams was a resident at the apartment complex, a spokesperson for the owners claim he was evicted from the property by the Harvey Sheriff's Department in July 2023.

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Some Harvey, Illinois residents were reportedly trapped inside their units after they were boarded up on Friday. (FOX 32 Chicago)

Photos of the more than 30 now boarded up units show non-occupancy orders. Residents at the development told the station there were at least five families still inside their apartments with their belongings.

"Contrary to recent claims, the city did not evict anyone from these properties but has communicated with the property owners regarding the unsafe conditions of the buildings and need to immediately rectify the dangerous living conditions," city officials said in a post on Facebook.

The City of Harvey posted several photos of the apartment complex on social media showing deplorable living conditions and major structural concerns.

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Harvey, Illinois Halsted Street apartments were boarded up after the building's structural integrity became compromised. (City of Harvey)

Some of the photos show broken concrete and rusted out holes in staircases leading to the second floor, personal belongings being stored in stairwells, piles of garbage left on the property grounds and overflowing dumpsters.

In October 2023, the City of Harvey launched an extensive investigation into the property, along with discussions with the property owners, Jay Patel and Henry Cho, regarding structural issues and collapsed stair risers.

The city also discussed the numerous 911 calls for illegal acts taking place at the property.

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Garbage was strewn on the property grounds at an apartment complex on Halsted Street in Harvey, Illinois. (City of Harvey)

Two months prior, the city had a meeting and recommended the property owners hire a structural engineer to assess the damages. The city’s building department granted a two-week period to hire the contractor and urged the property owners to erect temporary structures to block the stairs.

The city said it also emphasized to the owners the need to vacate the building for safety reasons as construction was underway, granting the owners an extension until the end of October for residents to arrange other housing.

City officials said in the post that the property owners were told the structural integrity of the building had surpassed its life expectancy, and the building needed to be evacuated by Oct. 28.

"The responsibility to communicate this information to tenants was also emphasized," the city said.

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Multiple assessments on the property took place between Oct. 28 and Dec. 14, at which point the city’s building department determined two buildings at the property posed "imminent safety risk," mainly because of the deterioration of the balconies and stairs.

Then on Friday, the city added, the owners of the property boarded both buildings as city police conducted inspections and wellness checks.

Fox News Digital reached out to Mayor Christopher J. Clark for comment but did not immediately hear back.

Patel and Cho said in a statement to Fox News Digital that prior to the initial property purchase in February 2023, they were given an "all-clear" to move forward after several inspections, including one from the City of Harvey, with only a few minor issues needing to be addressed.

"After several months of operation, we were surprised by the city's notice to immediately have the building vacated to begin structural repairs to the staircases, but we were committed to following their guidance and promptly rectifying any issues for the safety of the residents," Patel and Cho said, adding that they aimed to treat the tenants with respect and consideration given the circumstances they were facing.

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Some of the things the property owners did was negotiate with the city to prolong the evacuation, while also swiftly notifying the residents through various channels and offering ways to aid in the challenging transition.

But time ran out and the owners coordinated with the city to shut down the building, though Patel and Cho say the allegations that tenants were boarded into their apartments were "categorically false."

"While we cannot control the actions of our tenants, we try to enforce policies that provide a safe environment [for] those who call the building home and once we are notified of any issues, we act quickly to ensure that the situation is resolved," Patel and Cho said. "We place our tenant's safety at the forefront of all our decisions, and we hope to reopen our building to the city’s standards around March, as we continue to cooperate and begin quality repairs and follow the appropriate guidelines."