Owners of Vacant Tulsa Apartment Complex Settle With Evicted Residents for About $400,000
Three years after tenants were forced out of Vista Shadow Mountain Apartments, the property's ownership group has agreed to a roughly $400,000 settlement with the displaced residents.
By Imani Brooks ·
The ownership group behind the now-vacant Vista Shadow Mountain Apartments in Tulsa has reached a settlement with residents who were forced to leave the complex three years ago. The total payout comes to around $400,000, according to KJRH 2 News.
The case was brought as a class action on behalf of the displaced tenants. Photographs included in the court petition show the conditions inside the apartments, which some residents found deeply troubling.
Ayanna Sutton, one of the former residents, said she was happy when she first moved in. "It was nice for you know, my first apartment," she said. "The atmosphere seemed OK, not too bad." For some of her neighbors, though, things went badly.
After leaving the complex, Sutton lived in a downtown Tulsa hotel and then in an apartment community near 51st and Memorial before moving to the duplex where she lives now. Under the settlement, she is set to receive $2,010.47. The lead members of the lawsuit, who spearheaded the case, will each receive $16,000 for that work.
Sutton described mixed feelings about the outcome. "It is a big relief, but I feel like it could be a little bit more," she said. She also reflected on what other tenants went through, noting that many families, including people with children, lived at the complex. "It was pretty sad," she said. Because she had not yet had her daughter at the time, she added, she could not imagine going through it with kids.
Tulsa attorney Jared Burden, who represented the residents, shared the view that the amount falls short. "The settlement amount is obviously too little, but it was the best we could achieve," he said. Even so, he said he is relieved that his clients can move on after three years of litigation.
The management group, known as CITYR, did not respond to 2 News by the time the story was published. The group operates out of Houston, New Jersey and Israel.
Burden said he is working to locate everyone who is eligible for a payment. If some of those residents cannot be found, he plans to donate the leftover money to Housing Solutions of Tulsa.
Originally published by News Media House · Source: KJRH 2 News
