Hundreds of people in National City have just found out they’ll be homeless in a matter of days.
The 170-unit condo complex at 801 National City Boulevard has been “red-tagged” by the city, meaning officials plans to shut down the crumbling structure before someone gets hurt.
Fliers posted to doors notified residents Tuesday that they have to be out by Sept. 21.
"It’s just out of nowhere,” said Charmain Medina, a Navy sailor who just had a baby. “They said you're gonna get kicked out and you have eleven days."
Many of her neighbors are already packing up after the notices appeared on their doors.
The fire marshal says it’s not something they want to do, but the building’s cracked stairwells and walls are not up to current fire codes.
The people living there – many of them active military or veterans – are stuck in the middle of a nasty dispute between the building’s prior owner Pacifica Companies and the current Home Owners’ Association.
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Pacifica had converted the location from a hotel to a condo complex seven years ago. Residents say the HOA has been in litigation with the company over repairs, each blaming the other for the building’s current condition.
So instead, the city stepped in.
Gary Wasserman, an attorney for the homeowners, said an example of the lack of care is a twelfth story railing that came undone on Tuesday.
“It would’ve tumbled 12 stories and fallen on whatever is down below,” he said. “These are the types of issues we’re dealing with with this building.”
Medina said they got no hint of the closure when they recently renewed their lease. She felt taken advantage of, but at least she is aware of what’s coming, unlike some neighbors who will return from deployment to find they are homeless.
“From what I found out, up until yesterday they were renting units. People were moving in in the afternoon yesterday,” said resident Jay Lalwani.
Those who own their units are faced with an extra predicament, forced to find a way to pay their mortgage while renting another place to live.
There is no timeline on when anyone can return.
The Red Cross has been at the complex to help people find an interim home.
