MIDVALE, Utah — Dozens of displaced residents were escorted to the Midvale apartment and had just fifteen minutes to recover whatever they owned from their living space.
They also received an updated email, stating that they had to sign a legal document to get their security deposit back.
FOX 13 News spoke briefly with Cory Hanks, the president of Keller Investment Properties, which runs the apartment building.
Hanks declined a formal interview and had no comment about the new paperwork renters claim of needing to sign to get their deposit back.
All he said was that he and his team are doing all they can, “moving heaven and earth” to help former tenants retrieve as many of their personal belongings as quickly as possible.
But a short time after FOX 13 News left, Mr. Hanks was on scene with deposit checks in hand, but only for those who signed the required paperwork.
Hanks was recorded on a cell phone saying, “If you don’t sign, I can’t give you the check today.”
The form is a lease termination agreement between those who lived at North Union and Keller Properties going back to last Friday, July 31st.
Christian Zoumadakis was one of many former renters who was skeptical of the agreement.
“I don’t want to sign a lease termination without getting my stuff back. That’s where I’m at now," said Zoumadakis.
Dontay Bassett was another.
“I don’t want to sign anything prematurely.”
Bassett said it makes sense not to rush into any legal agreement days after such a life-changing event.
“Just because I know once I sign it, that severs the lease and that will probably sever all communication and obligation that they might be held up to. Just so I can make sure they do right by us and then once I’m 100% safe in my regard that everything has been handled properly, then that’s when I’ll probably sign it," said Bassett.
In the meantime, those who once called North Union Apartments home, people like Christian Zoumadakis, said they tried to salvage what they could.
“Our whole apartment…everything, soaked, covered in mold, smoke damage.”
His girlfriend, Ireland Roth, said it was overwhelming.
“Having fifteen minutes to go in, grab everything you can with what you can carry. Thank goodness both of our parents live close by. But my heart really goes out to the people who don’t have family close by.”
