'We Were All Treated Like Trash': Tenants Granted 30-Day Extension After Eviction Notice
Follow CBSPHILLY Facebook | Twitter
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Tenants from one North Philadelphia apartment building are breathing a small sigh of relief tonight after a judge extended the time they have to leave their homes.
The ruling comes after they were ordered to leave with just one week's notice.
Through text messages, owner Ari Miller ordered the evictions of the entire Cumberland Lofts apartment building after Common Pleas Civil Division Judge Lyris Younge made an emergency order to evict the building due to multiple code violations.
Younge granted the tenants 30 more days to move Friday morning, after originally only giving a week's notice because of dangerous living conditions.
Code violations include surface issues with the walls and issues with fire, smoke and carbon monoxide detectors.
With just seven days notice, tenants scrambled to pack their things and get out.
Nicole Conway, a former tenant, was on vacation when she received the eviction text.
"This is beyond anything I've ever experienced in my life, ever," Conway said. "I've been removed from my home in a matter of four days.
"My entire body is sore from packing. I'm tired, I've gotten about three or four hours of sleep."
Conway was able to make the move in four days, but others were not able to leave so quickly.
Atlantic County Confirms First Case Of West Nile Virus
"I would be in the street," Cumberland Lofts tenant Michael Seymour said. "I haven't worked all week, I've been nervous, I've been having stomach pain due to the fact I didn't know what was going on my livelihood pretty much."
"Everybody was treated the same. We were all treated like trash pretty much."
Tenants will receive their last month's rent and their security deposit back, along with $300 for moving expenses.
