CORAL SPRINGS, FLA. (WSVN) - A condo building in Coral Springs has been deemed unsafe and residents will have to evacuate.
The city announced that tenants of the Villa Bianca Condominium, a 16-unit condo located at 3990 Woodside Drive, must vacate the premises by Aug. 5 after the Special Magistrate deemed the structure unsafe.
7SkyForce HD hovered above the building showing busted up shingles and other digns of decay, Thursday afternoon.
Hours later, 7News cameras captured visible electric wiring and part of an awning in the back of the property. Neighbors said it has continued to come down in recent weeks.
A photo showing some of the damage at the Villa Bianca Condominium. 
A photo showing some of the damage at the Villa Bianca Condominium. 
A photo showing some of the damage at the Villa Bianca Condominium. 
A photo showing some of the damage at the Villa Bianca Condominium. 
A photo showing some of the damage at the Villa Bianca Condominium. 
A photo showing some of the damage at the Villa Bianca Condominium.
“I’m actually very angry, and more importantly, I’m disappointed in the landlords,” said resident Jacob Henning, “cause it’s their responsibility to keep the building in a livable habitat, and they failed to do that.”
Henning rents a unit in the condo with his fiancée, Phillex Anderson, and their two children. He gave 7News a tour of his first-floor apartment.
“This is the bathroom. As you can see, we have no ceiling,” he said. “This entire building is infested with rats.”
Cellphone video provided by Henning showed a pipe leaking into his unit, something that, he said, happens when it rains.
“You can see in here there’s mold,” he said as he pointed to a portion of the ceiling.
The city said the condo failed to complete its 40-year building inspection, which was required in 2016.
“At that time, failure to meet inspection requirements were brought before the Special Magistrate and a lien placed on the building,” a city spokesperson said. “In the absence of an engineering report, and the building’s further deterioration, the city’s Chief Building Official deemed the building to be unsafe and brought the matter in front of the Special Magistrate during an emergency hearing.”
An emergency hearing was called due to multiple violations of the city’s building code and the structural condition of the building, and the special magistrate deemed the building unsafe.
Anderson said they learned they had to leave their home just days after they had celebrated their child’s birthday.
“Yeah, it’s a terrible day. How about that?” she said.
While Henning and Anderson rent, James Haddad owns his unit.
“The condo association is actually intact. The problem is that the one that has eight apartments will not comply to anything,” he said. “We tried to work it out.”
Haddad said he pointed to Henning’s landlord as being part of the problem in preventing repairs.
“I feel horrible. I’m gonna lose everything I have. It’s just not fair,” he said.
City officials added that only 15 of the 16 units are occupied, with one unit being uninhabitable since a fire in 2014.
The city added that staff and a charity are working with residents to provide temporary housing and will help them navigate the application process for rental and utility funding. However, residents who spoke to 7News said they’re going to try to find their own accommodations.
Henning’s landlord and members of the condo association’s board did not immediately respond to 7News’ requests for comment.
Copyright 2024 Sunbeam Television Corp. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.