Clock ticking for Garner residents facing eviction

GARNER, North Carolina (WTVD) -- On the eve of a forced move out, several Garner families are still calling the Forest Hills Apartments complex home.

In March, tenants received notice that the property had been sold to Eller Capital. The news came as a shock to many residents who use Section 8 vouchers. Eller Capital has no plans to allow such vouchers to be used when Forest Hills is renovated. Tenants have until June 15 to move, per amended "move-out" terms.

9-month resident, Kim Goode, is still living at Forest Hills and plans to do so for at least the next week. "I just found a place yesterday," she told ABC11. "I'll give (Forest Hills) their key when I get my key (to the new apartment)," Goode said. "They understand that."

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According to Goode, "less than 20 families" are still living in Forest Hills, despite Thursday's deadline.

Wednesday, Harlem transplant and father of two, Ja'Von Treadwell, was packing up his apartment with the help of his brother. "It's hard all over. It's hard for everybody," Treadwell said. "Me and my two daughters, we've been here for seven years. A lot of other folks have been out here for 20+ years and more. They good people. It's not the people who made this complex the way it is, it's outside people."

Treadwell and his daughters are ready to move. He told ABC11 that in retrospect, he would not have moved to Garner. Still, the looming move is bittersweet. "It's cool that we gotta move. But at the same time being forced to move is different than me wanting to move."

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As of Wednesday afternoon, Treadwell said he still had no place to go. After he received notice of a lease termination, he found a new complex, but things fell through. "It's stressful. It's hard. That's just the bottom line," he said. "I've been getting ping-ponged back and forth so far. Found a place. Got it approved and they went out to inspect it. And the people sold the property that day."

Speaking on the renovations Eller Capital plans to make to Forest Hills, Treadwell said he believes more work needs to be done.

"The way this guy is, he's coming in doing cosmetic surgery to fix up the place. It ain't gonna do no justice. It just won't. Here he's just putting band-aids on bullet wounds," he offered.

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ABC11 reached out to Eller Capital and received the following response:

Eller Residential Living will not comment on any matter related to the landlord-tenant relationship that it has with any resident or group of residents.

Eller Residential Living is in full compliance with all of its legal obligations under the residential lease agreements and the company continues to honor its commitment to allow physical occupancy of the apartment units until after the Wake County school year concludes in June.

Eller Residential Living will have no further comment at this time except to refer you to the attached statement that was provided in March and provides a detailed explanation of the project and the reasons why it is necessary.