Heat returns to Wyoming apartments

WYOMING, Mich. (WOOD) - A Wyoming apartment complex, without heat for two straight days, once again has heat.

Tenants told 24 Hour News 8 this is the second time this winter the apartments were without heat.

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Landlord Dale Church said he learned about the problem just before Target 8 showed up at his home Tuesday, and that he is going to fix it. But tenants tell a different story.

"It's freezing and this has only been off for 24 hours," said tenant Brandi Barnes.

By Tuesday night, it was nearly 48 hours that the entire unit on Porter Street near Byron Center Avenue SW was without heat. Barnes said she has to wear a coat inside her home, and was using candles and blankets to try to stay warm.

Tenant Dan Robinson said his apartment was only about 60 degrees Tuesday.

Another tenant, who asked to not be identified, said she had to buy a wall heater to keep herself and her two children from freezing.

"I called DTE and tried to get it on in my unit and try to get it individually," she said. But there's a problem. "We share a meter and we can't even have that option because there's a past-due bill, and [the DTE representative] can't tell me the amount of the past-due bill so we can come together and try to pay it."

Tenants said the landlord wasn't doing anything about the heat issue, so they called Target 8. But Church said tenants hadn't contacted him before Tuesday

"I just got aware of this today," Church said.

Church said he would go to the building to fix the heat issue. Target 8 followed him to the building and saw his car there, but couldn't find him inside.

On the phone, Church agreed to have the problem solved Tuesday, but said he did not want to talk any more on camera.

"I don't want to go through all this right now, let me just get the furnace solved," said Church.

Target 8 was told a repairman was at the complex Tuesday night looking at the furnace. If the heat was not fixed Tuesday night, the City of Wyoming was going to issue Church a fine for unlivable conditions, ordering him to fix the problem or close the complex.

The heat was still not on, as of Wednesday morning, and a heating company was at the complex investigating the issue a second time.

Target 8 learned Church owns at least two other complexes, both of which have previously been without heat.