North Lawn Apartments tenants abruptly removed from homes as city works to make repairs

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — KSHB 41 reporter Isabella Ledonne reports on stories in Overland Park, Johnson County and topics about government accountability. Share your story idea with Isabella. KSHB 41 News reporter Braden Bates covers parts of Jackson County, Missouri, including Lee's Summit. Send Braden a story idea by e-mail.

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Residents at the North Lawn Apartments in Kansas City, Missouri, were suddenly relocated Friday morning as the Kansas City Multidisciplinary Task Force was on site to initiate emergency repairs at the apartment complex.

For weeks, KC Tenants and neighbors at the complex have called on the building's owner and city to address concerning living conditions. Tenants said they have dealt with extreme heat with no air conditioning or electricity, overgrown grass, flooded sewage and safety concerns.

The KCMO City Council voted to use up to $500,000 to address issues at the property, but residents previously told KSHB 41 News reporter Rachel Henderson the same concerns remain unaddressed.

In coordination with KC Tenants, residents launched a rent strike last week until the conditions were fixed.

On Friday morning, North Lawn residents began reporting they were being "forcibly" removed from their homes. This is at least the second time residents have reported being told without warning to vacate their apartments with no direction or resources on where to go next.

Fabian Rosales/KSHB 41

"We’re all fending for ourselves here," North Lawn resident Christiana Tamski said told KSHB 41 reporter Braden Bates. "Trying to figure out where we go from here. Where we’re going to lay our heads tonight."

KC Tenants said tenants received no prior notice of Friday's actions, and the city didn't communicate the move with the North Lawn Tenant Union.

"Tenants have been informally told they will be temporarily relocated, but no formal commitment to temporary relocation assistance or tenants' right to return has been communicated to tenants by City Manager Mario Vasquez or the building's new landlord," a spokesperson with KC Tenants wrote.

On Monday, the city said the building owner and members of the city knocked on resident's doors, to discuss the damages assessment.

"As far as everybody here was concerned, (the owner) was going to work with everybody, and if there was too much work that needed to be done, we would be relocated and then brought back once the work was finished on our place," Tamski said.

She said the notice to vacate was immediate.

"My birth certificate, my husband's wallet are in there because we weren't home. We were at work. Everything, we can't even go in and get anything out of our apartment," Tamski said. "They were given an hour, two hours."

According to the city, recent inspections found serious conditions that required extensive repairs and several unlawful occupants on the property. The city stated they are working with the property owner to address the concerns, hold them accountable for repairs, and help residents access temporary housing and relocation support.

"While we know relocation is difficult, these repairs cannot be completed safely while residents remain in the buildings," a spokesperson wrote in a statement. "Our goal is to protect leaseholders, complete critical repairs and improve living conditions for the long term."

The city's task force plans to work with the current property owner to begin restoring temporary power to occupied units, and fully replacing and redesigning the building's poor electrical system.

According to the city, United Way of Greater Kansas City is available to help with relocation support services.

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