No heat in Southfield apartments forces family to hotel

SOUTHFIELD, Mich. – [UPDATE: The following is taken from a statement from management at the Atrium Apartments - "The Atrium Apartments recently experienced unexpected furnace issues in the north building of the 96-unit complex. The furnace was intermittently inoperable causing temporary heating outages for 48 of our 96 residents. As soon as the issue occurred, management acted immediately to obtain parts for repairs.

Prior to becoming the Atrium Apartments in 2014, this complex was in disrepair and distressed. The Atrium Apartments management team has spent considerable funds renovating both the interior and exterior of the building over the past 1.5 years, creating a much improved living space for our residents. We consider ourselves responsible property managers committed to the safety and well being of all our residents."]

Residents in Atrium Apartments on 9 Mile Road in Southfield said their pipes are frozen and they don't have heat.

The apartment complex is trying to attract new tenants by posting a sign that says "free heat" included, but Patricia Batista said they've been without adequate heat for more than a month.

She said the apartment hasn't had running water because the pipes are frozen. She said additional space heaters weren't enough to keep them warm.

While still paying their rent, the Batista family is now staying at a hotel.

Batista said they aren't the only family without heat.

Although the heat had been turned back on in her apartment, Batista said that's not the case for every apartment.

Building managers were unavailable for comment.


About the Authors:

Priya joined WDIV-Local 4 in 2013 as a reporter and fill-in anchor. Education: B.A. in Communications/Post Grad in Advanced Journalism

Dawn Jorgenson, Graham Media Group Branded Content Managing Editor, began working with the group in April 2013. She graduated from Texas State University with a degree in electronic media.