Tenants at Aurora Apartments Face Eviction Amidst Code Violations and Gang Crime Allegations
Residents of an Aurora apartment complex at 1568 Nome St. have been given a mere eight days to vacate their homes. The situation is mired in controversy, with apartment management pointing to Venezuelan gang activity as the cause, while the city of Aurora cites longstanding unresolved code violations as the reason for the eviction.
According to a city spokesperson, instead of addressing the documented code violations, property owner CBZ Management has opted to hire a team of attorneys and a public relations firm to contest the city’s decision. “First off, we have a sign-off from the city, so therefore I don’t know what the city is talking about as it relates to violations because it’s been signed off,” stated an investor in the property.
The city says violations include rodent infestations, lack of heat and electricity, sewage backups, trash pileups, and water leaks, among other issues. The investor contends that all city-requested repairs have been completed and signed off on. He attributes the vacate order to chaos and fear instigated by Venezuelan gang violence, which has left both residents and property owners in a precarious situation. The investor, wishing to remain anonymous, stated, “It’s inappropriate of the city to be blaming an issue that has to do with law enforcement and gangs and violent gangs taking over the building and trying to use it as a scapegoat, that it has to do with code violations and repairs that weren’t done in apartments. It’s a nonsense argument.”
Police have reported an increase in calls for service at the property over recent years, with 41 crimes investigated in 2022, rising to 84 in 2023, and 66 crimes already reported in the first seven months of this year. These include motor vehicle crimes, robbery, drug offenses, and aggravated assault. Although the police declared the building a criminal nuisance property last year, the city maintains that this is not the reason for the closure.
In response to concerns about alleged Venezuelan gang crime, a city spokesperson stated that they are “actively working with law enforcement agencies across the metro area to conclusively determine if there is a connection between metro criminal activity and a specific group or organization. In the meantime, any such specific activity is immaterial to and separate from the city’s code enforcement actions at the property and the building’s inhabitability.”
Starting Wednesday, the city will begin notifying tenants of the eviction. Residents have until 8 a.m. on August 13 to vacate, after which the city will shut off the water, board up the building, and fence off the entire property. Despite the declaration of the building as a criminal nuisance property last year, the city insists that the current closure is not due to this designation.
The city and apartment management are scheduled to appear in court later this month to address the ongoing dispute.
