College Park Plaza tenants told to be out by Tuesday

Since the Hill County Health Board voted Nov. 2 to close the College Park Plaza apartment complex, after years of compiling code violations and becoming increasingly unsafe, 12 of 17 tenants have moved out. The last five tenants have until Tuesday to move out or they may be removed by law enforcement.

Deputy County Attorney Karen Alley told members of the Hill County Health Board Wednesday the next step to remove the last tenants, should they still be there by Tuesday, will include filing eviction notices through Justice Court which, once approved, will allow Sheriff’s Office deputies to remove remaining tenants.

County Sanitarian Clay Vincent said some of the tenants will probably still be there by Tuesday.

“There’s some people pretty much imbedded in that building, and I don’t think they’re leaving unless they are forced to,” Vincent said.

Vincent specified one woman who has a boy and said she won’t leave and she’ll stay there without paying rent.

“I guess they’re just testing the system,” Vincent said.

People in College Park Plaza have been told there is room to stay at the Oakwood Village complex.

The owner, Jason Van Voast, a Ronan resident, can be charged with misdemeanor offense for failure to comply for every day tenants are still in the building past the official eviction date, Alley said, adding that she will notify Van Voast.

The problems the apartment complex has had go beyond the presence of lead paint, mold and the laundry list of fire code violations including adequate lack of smoke detectors and fire extinguishers as cited by Vincent.

Havre Police Fire Chief Gabe Matosich said at the last meeting that since Jan. 1, 2016, his department had received 275 calls involving that building. Officers have responded to partner family member assaults, instances of trash set on fire, theft, disorderly conduct, harassment, criminal contempt and trespassing.

Property manager Sheila Forshee has talked about possibly turning the building into a homeless shelter, but there has been no action in that direction, Alley said, adding the building can be sold without the owner doing the work needed to bring it up to code. But one way or another, if it’s to be used, the work to bring it up to code has to be done, Alley added.

Forshee said Wednesday afternoon a sale is pending on the building and final details on the sale are being worked out. The interested buyer, or buyers, want to keep the details of their plans for the building confidential, she said.