OLYMPIA, Wash. — Nearly a dozen people living in a South Sound apartment are searching for a place to live after finding out their leases have been terminated.
“I’m being kicked out of my own apartment. For what?” said Diana Coker.
Coker is shaken up. She came home Monday and found a lease termination taped to her door.
She’s lived at Angelus Apartments since 2017, is about to have hand, mouth and neck surgery and doesn’t know what to do.
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“I didn’t do anything. I didn’t do anything wrong. I’m an upstanding citizen. I don’t deserve this. None of these people do,” she said.
Many tenants called management to find out why they’re being asked to leave.
“She said that everyone who got an eviction notice was not fit for the direction the apartment is going in and I tried to inform her, you’re evicting myself and my fiancée who’s pregnant,” said Antonio Varela.
Tom Glaspie’s the new owner of Angelus Apartments. He said they gave notices to about eight people who had unpaid rent, caused disturbances, created excessive noise or had a history of drug use.
He said certain tenants’ behavior doesn’t fit with the plan for the future of the building.
Originally, they were told be out by May 31, but the date has been moved to June 30.
“That 20 days has to end at the end of the rental period, so the end of the month, but, yes, 20 days before that is typically going to be legal,” said Northwest Justice Project attorney Carrie Graf.
Some tenants have already left, but others said they won’t back down.
“I’m going to fight this fight and they’re not going to get away with it because it’s not fair, you can’t just come in and buy a building and evict everybody because you’re doing what? You’re causing more of the epidemic to the homeless. You’re not helping it, you’re making it worse,” said Treena Friend.
Glaspie said he is working with the City of Olympia to get each tenant $2,000 to help with moving and future rent.
Tenants who need assistance are asked to call the intake line, at 1-888-201-1014.
Cox Media Group
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