Harvey resident says crew boarding up apartments trapped him inside

A south suburban Harvey resident said he suddenly became trapped inside his apartment when crews boarded up the door and window without any warning.

Cellphone video shared with NBC Chicago shows Rudolph Williams' nephew desperately trying to gain access to the 73-year-old's apartment near 145th Street and South Halsted on Friday night.

"My nephew called me... and said, 'You’re boarded up here?' I said, 'What?' I opened the door and that’s when I saw there was a board right there. I looked at the window, same thing."

Williams was eventually able to exit when somebody unscrewed and removed the boards. A 10-year resident of the building, Williams said he heard crews boarding up units earlier in the day, but received no warning.

"I was thinking somebody was over enthusiastic and just got carried away with their work, but I was wondering why they didn’t knock on the door and asked," he stated. "Because I would have responded. Nobody knocked on the door."

The same evening, multiple people posted videos on social media, claiming residents were trapped inside boarded-up apartment units. In one video, a resident shared a copy of a letter from the village of Harvey, dated Dec. 14, that stated the Building Department decided it was in the best interest of residents and the public to evacuate two buildings - 14445 and 14437 Halsted. Both buildings, according to the letter, posed an "imminent safety risk" to those who use the stairs and balconies.

The city of Harvey issued a statement on Saturday in which it detailed a history of safety issues at the buildings and actions that had been taken as a result. In the statement, the city said it conducted an extensive and thorough investigation dating back to October and took "immediate actions" in the interest of public safety.

The city said it did not evict anyone, rather it communicated with the property owners regarding the need to "immediately rectify the dangerous living conditions." On Oct. 17, city officials initiated discussions with the property owners - Jay Patel and Henry Cho - regarding structural issues and collapsed stair risers at 14445 South Halsted and 911 calls for illegal acts taking place at the properties, according to the statement.

According to the city, the property owners were notified in writing that the building's structural integrity had exceeded its life expectancy and that evacuations by Oct. 28 were mandatory. That information, city leaders said, was the property owners' responsibility to communicate to the tenants.

On Dec. 14, the Building Department determined that both 14445 and 14437 South Halsted posed an "imminent safety risk," particularly due to "extensive deterioration of balconies and stair risers." Then, on Friday, both properties were boarded up by the property owners, according to the city.

That same day, the Harvey Police Department performed several inspections and wellness checks at the property, the statement said.

Crisis responder Andrew Holmes said at least four people were boarded up, including a mother and her two children. Another resident, Mary Brooks, said she was told that her unit would be boarded up next week.

"I hope the owners could never do this again to anyone, anywhere, and I hope they’ll be held accountable, some type of way, financially," she said. "Move people out of here, give us money to move if you want us to move."

As for Williams, he's asking how something like this could happen.

"Disappointing in the way that people, you know, the way things happened, seems like there’s lack of compassion around here," he stated.

A city of Harvey spokesperson said the “city did not evict anyone nor participate in the board ups.”

NBC Chicago attempted to reach the property owners for comment on Saturday night. The property owners Tuesday responded with the following statement:

Prior to the initial purchase of the property in February of 2023, we were given the “all-clear” to move forward, following multiple inspections, including one from the city of Harvey, with only a few minor issues needing to be addressed.

After several months of operation, we were surprised by the city’s notice to immediately have the building vacated to begin structural repairs to the staircases, but we were committed to following their guidance and promptly rectifying any issues for the safety of the residents.

We aimed to treat the tenants with as much respect and consideration as possible, given the difficult and unexpected circumstances they were facing - including negotiating with the city to prolong the evacuation time, swiftly notifying the residents through various channels, as well as offering concessions to try to aid in this challenging transition.

Our property management firm coordinated the shutdown of the building with the city of Harvey, and onsite vendors reported that on Friday, January 5th, the viral allegations regarding tenants being boarded into their apartments are categorically false.

While we cannot control the actions of our tenants, we try to enforce policies that provide a safe environment to those who call the building home and once we are notified of any issues, we act quickly to ensure that the situation is resolved.

We place our tenant's safety at the forefront of all our decisions and we hope to reopen our building to the city’s standards around March, as we continue to cooperate and begin quality repairs and follow the appropriate guidelines.