Queens families file suit to get back into burned-out building

Tenants displaced by Jackson Heights fire suing to get back into building

Residents who were forced out of their homes after a fire at an apartment building in Queens are filing a lawsuit to get back inside to retrieve their belongings.

NEW YORK - Dozens of residents who lived in a Jackson Heights apartment complex that was devastated by fire are suing the owners of the building to try and get their lives back on track.

The people filing the lawsuit are demanding that property management fix their homes so they can go back inside and get their remaining belongings.

"We've been in a hotel for the last five months fighting with the owner… and nothing!" said Jose Rodriguez, a former resident of the apartment building. He says that months later, he is still living in limbo.

"We basically want to know what's going on?" Rodriguez said. "We're being kept in the dark."

For 20-year-old Michelle Rojas, her family's cherished belonging are still stuck inside the building and she has no way of retrieving them.

"I have m family heirlooms, my parents brought stuff from Mexico, you know, I can't really replace those," Rojas said.

The lawsuit targets not only the building's property owners but also two city agencies, the Department of Buildings and the Department of Housing Preservation and Development.

In July, the Department of Buildings modified its previous order to fully vacate the premises and allow several dozen tenants in one wing of the building to retrieve personal items. However, a spokesperson says the other section is not yet safe to enter, citing asbestos abatement and cleanup operations.

According to the Department of Housing Preservation and Development, 44 households are currently receiving emergency housing assistance via an extended hotel stay while the city works towards transitioning them to a long-term affordable option.

FOX 5 NY also reached out to KedEx Properties, who owns and manages the building, but did not receive a response.

Tenants say the first court date is this coming Monday, with the next one in early October.

Get breaking news alerts in the free FOX5NY News app | Sign up for FOX 5 email newsletters | Get the Fox 5 Weather App