Kept in the dark: 40 people may soon be forced into homelessness

SEATTLE — Residents of the motel where an explosion happened are literally being kept in the dark by their landlord and could soon be evicted.

Last Monday, a gas explosion blew up part of the Klose In Motel and sent one man to the hospital.  Since then, disabled Vietnam veteran Lee Vicary has been living with no heat, no electricity and no word on when the power would come back on.

“Nothing is really being done or corrected,” Vicary said.

Now, Vicary and the roughly 40 other people who basically live full-time at the motel here are facing eviction by the City of Seattle this coming Friday.  It is all because the landlord has not gotten the power back on yet.

Vicary said the notices were put up a few days after the gas explosion, and said no one has heard anything from the landlord since.

“We want a damn answer, and today would be really nice!” he said.

KIRO 7 began searching for those answers by looking at property records for the motel.  The company that owns Klose In is registered to a home on Mercer Island.  The owner of the home is Sang Hou.

Hou said on the phone his insurance inspector told him not to clean up the rubble while they are investigating, which is why he cannot turn the power back on.

He also said Friday everyone will have to move and he will pay.

However, Vicary said he has not heard anything about moving money and fears he and his wife may end up on the street.

“I don’t want to be homeless,” he said.  “I’m way too old for this now.”

KIRO