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Renters forced to leave complex before flood repairs begin
Residents at Windover Palms are being asked to vacate their homes with less than a weeks notice as the complex begins damage repairs after from last week's flooding. Mark Kamins is a disabled senior citizen at the complex, he told FOX 35's Esther Bower that he's worried he'll end up homeless.
MELBOURNE, Fla. - Renters who lost all their belongings in last week’s flash floods at a Melbourne apartment complex must vacate the property by Friday after management terminated their leases.
Many have nowhere to go, and only two days notice to get off property.
Melbourne flash flood displacement
What we know:
Residents at Windover Palms on Fitness Circle received notices on their doors stating they must leave by Friday, so crews can begin cleanup and repairs, according to documents shared with FOX 35. Management told tenants the repairs would take too long, resulting in the termination of their leases.
Among those forced out is 70-year-old Mark Kamins, a disabled man who sat on his porch waiting for help after his home flooded. Kris Long, who moved into the complex with his daughter this fall, had not finished unpacking when the water ruined their belongings, leaving couches, beds and televisions piled on the side of the street.
Windover Palms tenant reactions
What they're saying:
Kamins said the notice shattered his world and left him fearing he will end up homeless.
"This was my savior place. I’m 70-years-old. I have nowhere to go," Kamins said. "I’ve got nowhere to go. I’m at a total loss. I haven’t got much of an education, being 70-years-old – I can’t work a computer, I don’t know what to do."
He added that he fears returning to living outdoors. "I hate to wind up back in the woods," Kamins said.
Long also expressed shock over the sudden deadline to leave the complex. "We have to be out by tomorrow," Long said, noting the floodwaters destroyed "couches, beds, televisions, everything."
Brevard County complex response
The other side:
FOX 35 News called the main office at Windover Palms on Thursday to ask about the situation facing the displaced residents. Someone in the main office stated they were told they had no comment and were not speaking to the media.
Apartment cleanup and housing
What we don't know:
Officials and property managers have not shared whether the complex is offering relocation help or temporary shelter to the displaced tenants. It is also unclear how many total apartments at Windover Palms were affected by the flooding and when any refunds will be released.
The Source: The information in this story was gathered from FOX 35 Reporter Esther Bower, who interviewed displaced renters at Windover Palms and contacted the apartment complex's main office. She also reviewed the vacate notice placed on renters' doors.