PEMBROKE PINES, Fla. – Residents in two Pembroke Pines condo buildings have been forced from their homes after the structure was deemed unsafe.
Those residents at the Heron Pond Condominium at Pembroke Pines, located at 8400 SW 1st St., have only days to pack up their things and move out. They told Local 10 News their buildings are deteriorating but management isn’t making the necessary repairs.
The property manager told Local 10′s Roy Ramos they started working on the building six months ago.
Those repairs didn’t seem to be enough for two buildings on the property, and now it’s the residents living in them who are being forced out.
From large cracks in the buildings and steel supports shoring up balconies on nearly all 19 buildings on the property, to rotting wood found beneath stucco and patch work in place of actual repairs, it’s clear the buildings have maintenance issues.
But it’s when residents started to receive notices posted to their front doors back in January that they began to worry.
“I saw that there were cracks and something on the building and they said they were fixing it,” said resident Allan Rodriguez.
The most recent notice posted by the fire marshal and building inspector read: “Unsafe structure - units shall be vacated by August 24.”
“I just noticed this thing on the wall and I noticed that we have to be out in ten days,” said Rodriguez.
Ten days for residents to be out of Building 10 and Building 3.
“It is too close. 10 days,” said resident Jose Perez.
While some residents, like Perez, are already moving out, others who have yet to receive the notice to vacate worry their building may be next.
“We have nowhere to go, and if we leave then we are going to have to be in the streets,” said resident Nicole Ponce.
Local 10 News reached out to the city of Pembroke Pines, which said it has given the community ample time to make the necessary repairs.
Since the issues haven’t been taken care of, Ramos tried speaking with property manager Laura Serrano. She refused to do an interview or go on camera.
She did say they have been working to fix the problems for the past six months and are trying to complete repairs as quickly as possible.
Unfortunately, residents say, for them, it hasn’t been fast enough.