DetNews: New owner kicks out residents of low-income apartments in Detroit's Cass Corridor

The social worker in me is appalled by what I have read in the Detroit News. This story is so wrong and immoral. How can someone evict low-income tenants, many of whom depend on disability, from their homes in less than thirty days? The process was expedited (legal loopholes??) so that tenants were not aware and could not object the eviction decision once it became finalized by the state of Michigan. Please share this story with your friends and colleagues. Voice your concerns and outrage over the careless treatment of these tenants.

Low-income residents of three apartment buildings on Henry Street in Detroit's Cass Corridor were abruptly notified Friday the buildings are being sold and the unknown buyer wants everyone out by May 20.

Residents were still in disbelief on Monday.

"This is so wrong, it's just so wrong," said Cathy Griffeth, a resident of the Berwin apartment at 489 Henry, north of the Fisher Freeway service drive. "We had no clue this was going to happen. I'm on disability like a lot of other people who live here. Do they really think we can find some other place just like that?"

The three apartment buildings are on the 400 block of Henry, just west of Cass Avenue. In addition to the Berwin, the other two buildings are the Claridge at 459 Henry and the Bretton at 439 Henry. All are owned by Peter Mercier of Grosse Pointe Farms.

Residents in each building, a total of 96 units, received a three-sentence letter in their mailboxes Friday informing them that Mercier has signed an agreement to sell. It doesn't name the new owner. "And the new owner has requested that all of the apartments be vacated," states the letter.

Along with the letters, the residents were given a state of Michigan document to vacate, which is the step prior to eviction.

Click here for further coverage of the story [04/23/13].