Gulf Grove Apartment residents order to vacate after condemnation

“I know we got to go. We’re in the street regardless.”

This was Maribel Castillo’s first reaction to seeing the notice to vacate her home of 15 years.

According to residents, people are paying between $500 and $1,100 hundred dollars for apartments without working AC and heat, mold, and caving-in roofs.

Denyse Beauvais is fed up with management.

“All he’s doing is collecting money and putting it in his pocket,” Beauvais said. “and telling lies and stories and stealing. It’s pretty sad.”

Residents had an inkling this condemnation was coming, but they didn’t know they would need to leave so soon.

“It’s a shame that we gotta go in such a short time. People aren’t ready to move out,” Castillo said. “They haven’t put letters on the door all these people don’t know English. I’m being the one who’s knocking on the door, and telling them ‘You gotta go.'”

Castillo and Beauvais feel that the city has made a bad situation worse. They said that many people in this complex are veterans, disabled, and not able to move on such short notice. Here’s what the Mayor of Waveland had to say.

“The building official set it at thirty days. I really don’t know his reason why,” said Mayor Jay Trapani. “Nobody likes to pick up and relocate, but we just can’t let them stay here. As bad as I feel for having to move them, if something should happen I would feel even worse.”

WXXV was unable to reach management for a response.