Hundreds of residents at a Plano apartment complex must vacate their homes by November 4 after city officials obtained a court order citing dangerous living conditions, including mold, sewage leaks, and a lack of basic utilities.<\/p>\n
The emergency legal action affects Evana Grove Apartments on Hillridge Drive<\/a>, where tenants scrambled on Tuesday to pack belongings as blue notices appeared on doors. City officials estimate 200 people face immediate relocation needs.<\/p>\n A Collin County District Court issued<\/a> the temporary restraining order requiring property owners and management to clear all units. The order initially gave property owners just 24 hours to evacuate before they filed a motion to extend the deadline.<\/p>\n \u201cWe understand how difficult and stressful this situation is for the people living there,\u201d the City of Plano said in a statement, per NBC 5 DFW. \u201cOur priority is the safety and well-being of everyone in our community. The conditions at Evana Grove are unsafe and unsanitary, leaving residents without gas, water, or sewer services.\u201d<\/p>\n Court documents reveal repeated code violations and environmental hazards that prompted the city\u2019s legal action. The problems have persisted for years, according to Curtis Howard, Plano\u2019s neighborhood services director.<\/p>\n \u201cFor the city, this has been a long-term issue,\u201d Howard said, NBC 5 reported. \u201cWe\u2019ve been dealing with this complex for a number of years.\u201d<\/p>\n Residents described deteriorating conditions that made the units unlivable, and many have left poor reviews<\/a> of the complex on Google, where the apartments have an average rating of 2.5 out of 5 stars. Residents detailed complaints such as broken water pipes, broken dishwashers, no hot water, trash on the grounds, roach infestations, non-working HVAC systems, and more, all with little to no response from the apartment maintenance team.<\/p>\n \u201cDO NOT EVEN THINK OF MOVING IN THIS PLACE,\u201d wrote<\/a> Noy Luangamath, who gave the complex a 1-star rating about a year ago. \u201cthere is a dang good reasons why the review rating is so low. i should have listened. i\u2019ve been here just over a month. there are fleas, roaches, dish washer and garbage disposal not working. i reported and request service from day one and they just ignored. NOTHING HAS BEEN FIXED YET. i don\u2019t have hot water for 22 days straight.\u201d<\/p>\n