Stony Brook residents upset after homes bulldozed

RALEIGH They say their personal keepsakes, that survived the April 16th tornadoes, have been knocked down and hauled away.

Both residents were afraid to tell their story to ABC11, but say they've now lost what little they had left.

The two homeowner's trailers were badly damaged after the deadly tornados swept through the Stony Brook Mobile Home Park.

Both were declared destroyed at some point, but then the resident say they got some good news.

"A FEMA contractor came and she did the inspection and she told us that the house could be fixed - but a day after, a neighbor called me that my house was getting demolished," said one homeowner who asked we not use their identity."

The Stony Brook residents say their properties were then demolished with no warning or phone call. They were told it was a last minute decision, made last week, in anticipation of possible severe weather.

"They said a city inspector was there at that the time and decided to demolish five or seven houses because it was a safety concern for the neighbors," said another homeowner who also asked we not use their identity.

Both residents say managers for American Residential Communities, the company who owns the mobile home park, asked them to sign over the titles to their homes-but they refused.

They also say ARC management offered them a thousand dollars when they complained about the demolition.

One of the residents says she lost her small business and pieces of her life.

"I lost my Avon product, my Avon contacts, personal papers, personal stuff, videos, and pictures," the homeowner said.

The property managers referred ABC11's calls to their corporate office in Denver. ABC11 received a statement Monday that says the homes were unsafe and a significant threat to residents.

"We will continue working with all of our residents affected by the disaster to assist them through this challenging time and to make the community as safe as possible for all who live at Stony Brook North," reads the statement in part.

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