West Deptford revokes three certificates of occupancy at Forest Creek apartments

WEST DEPTFORD TWP. – Chronic roof leaks and at least one ceiling collapse have led township officials to revoke three certificates of occupancy at the Forest Creek apartment complex.

Residents of the second floor of the apartment complex near Jessup Road have, since last November in some cases, been complaining of regular leaks in their ceiling. Tisa Davenport was in her sixth year living at Forest Creek when a new leak spouted last January.

“It was a regular thing, and it’s like you just know the routine at that point,” said Davenport, 33. “The response from management has always been you poke a hole in the ceiling, you get a bucket and you wait for roof repair. But I had three leaks this year and on Feb. 10 or 11, my ceiling collapsed.”

Looking into the crater in her ceiling, Davenport reported seeing mold. Her apartment and two others have been deemed uninhabitable, following inspections from West Deptford code enforcement official Mark Hallahan.

“It’s the smell of it that really hits you,” Davenport later added. “The smell of everything that’s coming down into the room. It literally makes you cough.”

According to township administrator Brandon Umba, the township has been looking into the situation at Forest Creek for the last six months. While three mold studies have returned “all clear,” Umba stated officials will continue the remediation efforts after receiving pictures from residents of the purported mold.

“Township construction official Phil Zimm is in the process of trying to set up a meeting with the property manager,” he said. “We don’t have much recourse in this kind of situation — we can’t dictate a time when it has to be fixed.

Tisa Davenport, a former resident of Forest Creek apartments, shared photos of damage to her apartment.

 “To my knowledge, it all stems from having a flat roof on top of the complex, which is causing the leaks.”

Salem Management, based in Union Township, owns the apartment complex. The property manager, Bonnie Carson, did not return a request for comment Monday.

The township revoked the certificate of occupancy to Davenport’s apartment on Feb. 25. Since then, she, along with her 15-year-old son, have been staying with her godparents in Riverton, Burlington County.

“I’ve just been so stressed,” she said. “My credit is shot, I had no expectation of moving and without my security deposit back I don’t have the funds to move into a new place,” said Davenport, who is a state employee in the Department of Treasury. “My son’s in a new school, and he may have to move to another one soon once we find a place.”

According to Umba, of the residents forced out of their apartments due to revoked certificates of occupancy, two have moved out and one has found another unit within the complex.

In Davenport’s case, she says Salem Management terminated her lease suddenly after her apartment’s CO was revoked. She was finally able to move the rest of her belongings out of the apartment about two weeks ago. She has yet to receive any of her security deposit, she added.

“On March 1, I got a phone call saying my lease is terminated,” said Davenport. “I asked if there was another apartment at Forest Creek I could move into, but they told me they couldn’t provide me with something they don’t have.”

According to Umba, Salem Management is not required by law to provide temporary housing for the residents.

Contact staff writer Jason Laday at 856-686-3628 or jladay@southjerseymedia.com.