55 Units Deemed "Unsafe" At Stockton Apartment Complex Following Sunday's Storm
STOCKTON (CBS13) — More than 50 families are now impacted by damage to an apartment complex caused by a weekend hailstorm.
People who live at the Meadow Green apartment complex on San Carlos Way in Stockton told CBS13 they had complained about the leaky roof for years. Property records show the complex was likely owned by the same family for 15 years.
In that time, code enforcement had never inspected the units. Tenants said they were shocked, but not surprised.
"Me and my one-year-old were in the house in the living room where it (the ceiling) fell. I had to snatch her up and run as soon as it happened," said Bethany Troy.
READ ALSO: Stockton Apartment Complex Damaged In Storm Has Never Been Inspected By The City
Troy said a large portion of her ceiling collapsed along with piles of sheetrock and insulation.
"There are holes in the tiles to where you can see the water damage came down," she added.
She and her neighbors believe more could have been done to prevent the ceiling from crumbling underneath the weight of Sunday's storm.
"I know the top unit right here, he had his roof fall out a couple years ago and they just repaired the section that was messed up," said Troy. "So of course it's going to fall again if any damage gets to it."
On Tuesday, city inspectors returned to the complex and deemed 55 units unsafe and unlivable.
"If a unit is tagged, that means do not enter, if it's untagged it means tenants can safely enter," said manager Christina Micciche.
Micciche said when Pama Management Company purchased the complex about three months ago it learned the roof was about 40-years-old.
READ: Heavy Storm Causes Ceilings To Collapse At Stockton Apartment Complex, Residents Displaced
"The hail was a big, huge problem, but there was never plywood or tarp paper installed," she said. "It was built about 40 years ago and it was up to code. You didn't need to install it back then.
Since then, tenants said they complained about the leaky roof and moisture getting into the walls and electrical outlets.
"Our old owners didn't fix what they were supposed to fix and the new owners didn't inspect the things they should inspect," said Carlene Cormier, who also had to evacuate her apartment.
CBS13 looked into the property's past and found records indicating the same family owned the complex for 15 years. During that time, it had "self-certified" the complex, meaning it was never inspected by code enforcement.
Unless a resident files a complaint with the city, officials said, inspectors aren't required to come out. The finding had at Meadow Green concerned.
"There's only one maintenance guy for all three buildings; 90 something units," said Troy. "He can't take care of all that."
CBS13 asked the new managers whether they knew of any complaints to the office prior to the sale. They said the previous company didn't leave any maintenance logs documenting any issues.
