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Residents left without heat, power at Hyattsville condominium complex
Several families in Hyattsville were without heat Tuesday night, and now, they’re also left in the dark on a bitterly cold night. The property manager says he's aware of the situation and is working on it, but those suffering through the frigid temperatures are feeling frustrated.
HYATTSVILLE, Md. - Several families in Hyattsville were without heat Tuesday night, and now, they’re also left in the dark on a bitterly cold night.
The property manager says he's aware of the situation and is working on it, but those suffering through the frigid temperatures are feeling frustrated.
What we know:
This is all happening at the Marylander Condominium Complex off Riggs Road in Hyattsville.
FOX 5 is told that a combination of aging infrastructure and vandalism has left several buildings without heat.
Now, within the last few days, one of those buildings, to add insult to injury, has lost power.
What they're saying:
A family that lives inside one of those buildings told FOX 5 that this is brutal.
"It's very frustrating," Linda Barber said. "They're saying we may not have any heat this whole season, which is crazy.
She's lived in her condo for 43 years — one of 19 buildings that comprise the Marylander — with her two sons.
When they woke up this morning, the thermostat showed a number that wasn't much higher.
"Day to day, it's just praying things get better," son Scott Barber added.
The backstory:
The day before Thanksgiving, the property manager believes someone from a nearby homeless encampment broke into the boiler room, messed with valves, and allegedly damaged the aging system. Since that day, 10 of the 19 buildings have been without heat.
On Monday, the aging electrical system in the Barber's building went out, too. So for her and her family, it’s been a month of no heat, and now, a day of no power.
Property manager Kenneth Brown says getting electricity back is a priority.
"We'll get it in about three days, and then we'll restore electricity to the buildings that are affected at this point," Brown said.
Brown took over management of the complex in April and tells FOX 5 he inherited a bad combination of infrastructure that wasn't properly maintained and crime nearby, which the Barbers say they constantly deal with, too.
Brown says a $6 million to $8 million capital project is needed to revamp the heating system and is working through options.
So, as far as the heat goes, there's no quick repair, regardless of how much money you want to throw," Brown said. "Even if I had all the money in the world, there's nothing we could do to give a quick repair for the heat."
Big picture view:
Prince George's County leaders are aware of this situation, have visited the property and are offering help where they can, but that's complicated since it's a privately owned condo.
Prince George's County Police also tells us they're working with the community and businesses to try and find shelter for the people living at that homeless encampment.