20 Families Get Boot From Building In F'closure After Getting 24 Hours Notice; Village Officials Say Premises Unsafe, Uninhabitable; Landlords Go AWOL

In Maywood, Illinois, WLS-TV Channel 7 reports:

• The village of Maywood has condemned a building as unfit for occupancy, forcing its residents to move out of their homes. About 20 families were given 24 hours notice that they must vacate their homes in the 1800-block of 5th Avenue. Flood damage is said to be only part of the reason the building is condemned. Residents say there have been problems for months and didn't realize the extent of the damage. They are devastated and angry and even the children are sad.

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• The building has been determined to be unsafe and uninhabitable. There is no fire alarm system, no power and no hot water. Some of the conditions are the result of recent flooding. Village officials say they are mostly due to poor management and maintenance.

• "The fire alarm system isn't working. Some of the residents didn't have electricity, no hot water. The basement was flooded. Property maintenance issues," said David Flowers, Village of Maywood. "The building is not safe and we just wanted to avoid any disasters."

• The building is in foreclosure. Many residents are looking for the building's previous owners who appear to be nowhere in sight.

For the story, see Residents displaced from condemned building.