More than a dozen families at Highland View Apartments in National City say they received eviction notices after the flooding, giving them only days to figure out their next step.
The Jan. 22 storm damaged many parts of the apartment complex, according to the notice sent to residents.
A letter from National City staff to the owner of the building states that, according to a building inspection conducted on Jan. 24 by a Senior Code Enforcement Officer, repairs or demolition needs to take place.
Some city leaders say that attached notice from the city that was sent to residents with the eviction notice makes it seem as if the city is behind the evictions.
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“We do not evict people. We are not in the business of doing that. We want to prevent that, but the management team used that letter and were telling residents that the city was indeed asking for this, and it is not true,” National City Councilmember Jose Rodriguez said.
NBC 7 obtained a copy of the eviction notice that is causing fear in the community. The letter states the owner of the apartment complex will give residents the equivalent of two months rent and their full security deposit.
“After the second day, they brought us a letter saying we had to leave within 10 days,” resident Celeste Delecruz said.
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On Sunday, there was a fire in one of the apartments at the complex.
“It looks like it’s electrical right now, but we are going to get an investigator out here to determine the actual cause,” a battalion chief with the National City Fire Department said.
Rodriguez said there is an ongoing effort to prevent the residents of Highland View Apartments from being evicted.
There will be a special city council meeting on Jan. 29, which is expected to address a “local emergency.”
