Park Forest apartment building condemned after tenants report no heat

Park Forest apartment building condemned after tenants report no heat

Some residents of an apartment complex in Park Forest don’t have heat—and they say it’s not the first time they’ve dealt with serious problems.

PARK FOREST, Ill. - Some residents of an apartment complex in Park Forest don’t have heat—and they say it’s not the first time they’ve dealt with serious problems.

What we know:

Village officials have gone as far as condemning one of the buildings at the complex.

Last summer, residents say they went weeks without air conditioning during extreme heat. Now, some tenants say they’re facing unsafe conditions again—this time in the middle of winter.

Under Illinois law, residential properties must provide adequate heat from October 1 through May 31. But one resident at the Autumn Ridge complex claims he hasn’t had heat all winter and says his dog died as a result of the conditions.

The Village of Park Forest confirms it has received multiple complaints from tenants about the lack of heat.

Village officials say one of the complex’s main buildings was condemned last Friday after failing to provide heat. They say the property owner was ordered to move affected residents into hotels.

What they're saying:

Still, a village trustee and some tenants say more needs to be done.

"Received a call from the gentleman who lost his service pet, but this is just one of the many calls I’m getting this week," said Randall White, a trustee with the Village of Park Forest. "It’s one thing to go without air conditioning in the summer—you can almost deal with that. But in the wintertime, it’s unbearable."

One tenant, who did not want to be identified, says the situation has forced dangerous workarounds.

"The only heat I’ve had is what I’ve tried to provide myself from the stove and buying heaters," the tenant said. "But I can’t even plug the heaters in because the electrical is such a fire hazard. If I plug in more than two heaters, the power blows or sparks start flying. It’s just bad."

The other side:

The apartment complex has not issued an official statement but told Fox Chicago it has been placing tenants without heat in hotels since last Friday.