Independence apartment arson is only one issue residents say they’ve had to deal with
INDEPENDENCE, Mo. (KCTV) - An apartment fire in Independence is now being investigated as arson. Police said the suspect is in custody.
The fire happened Monday morning and displaced 27 residents. Residents were given a $350 voucher by the Red Cross but were not given a timeline on when they would be able to return home.
Residents said Independence Towers is riddled with problems and they are tired of the conditions they’ve been living in.
“We’ve had it, you name it -- pest control problems, water leaks. My apartment has flooded four or five times now,” said Andrew Manno, “cockroaches, bed bugs, mice. We found a mouse in our couch two days ago.”
Residents said the biggest issue right now is not having any air conditioning. Manno, who has lived in his apartment for five years, said it is a reoccurring issue, happening every summer.
“It’s supposed to have been turned on when it’s over 70 degrees for more than two weeks and we ed that point already,” said Manno.
Each time residents ask for something to get fixed or for an update, they said they always receive the same response from management.
“We get the ‘Oh, yeah no we’re looking at it and working on it.’ Most of the time nothing would get done,” said Elliot West, a resident. “The fact that our building is not doing anything to help the people they are supposed to be taking care of, is not OK.”
READ MORE: Independence fire displaces people living in 2 dozen apartments
West has lived at the Independence Towers since 2016 and said every couple of years they’ve had different ownership, but now they have a new owner, Trigild Inc. and want to see change.
“We don’t want another coat of paint; we want our issues to actually be fixed and to have a safe home,” said West.
West and Manno along with KC Tenants will be meeting with the Vice President of Trigild Inc, Nancy Daniels, on Thursday afternoon ready with a list of demands.
Those demands include fixing the broken air conditioning immediately, compensating tenants for the recent fire, reversing and freezing all recent rent hikes, freezing all evictions and displacement, and recognizing their union.
KCTV5 reached out to Daniels for comment but did not get a response.
“So long as she recognizes that this isn’t about what she wants to do, this is about the actual lives of people, something is going to get done,” said West.
The negotiation meeting with Nancy Daniels will be on Thursday at 1:30 p.m. at St. Mark’s United Methodist Church.
KCTV5 also reached out to Independence Police to find out more on the suspected arsonist.
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