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Families forced to vacate Cape Coral find out on WINK News

Author: Annette Montgomery Writer: Annette Montgomery, Elyssa Morataya
Published: Updated:

Based on initial reporting in August, Cape Coral residents were informed that they will soon have to vacate their homes.

The City of Cape Coral has made plans to acquire 19 acres of land east of the Bimini Basin for a revitalization project, which will displace families there.

The surprise eviction has families concerned about where they’ll be able to live next, claiming that the City of Cape Coral is failing to accommodate the evictees.

“I want my granddaughters to have a good Christmas somewhere. Not worry about that they’re going to be out in the street,” said Margaret Carr, whose daughter and grandchildren live in one of the properties sold.

The unfortunate news has puzzled residents, as the news was not broken to them through their landlord or the city but rather on television.

“We found out because of WINK News,” said Carr. “I was watching your programming and saw her condo on your report. Nobody had a clue.”

Carr and Shanon Diem represent the families living on the 19 acres east of the Bimini Basin in Cape Coral.

“Most of us work week to week, paycheck to paycheck, and that’s very hard, especially when you have children,” said Diem. “It’s incredibly difficult, and I think it’s wrong. The city should be helping everyone, right?”

The working-class community is facing several issues now that they’re facing the impending eviction.

“You got SSI, disability, Section 8, all kinds of people here, and nobody’s going to be able to come up with thousands of dollars all at once,” said Diem.

According to Carr and Diem, those who were the least informed about this situation are the most impacted.

The evicted families’ landlords had not yet given them a move-out date, forcing them to contact WINK News, hoping for assistance with their next move.

“They’ve heard absolutely nothing until, finally, somebody answered the phone from RTS and said a 90-day notice would be going out, but the deposits were not going to be returned, although not penalized until 30 days after you vacated the property,” said Carr.

The City of Cape Coral referred WINK News to the landlord.

Reporters then contacted the landlord through several methods, hoping for a statement; however, we have not received a response.

The lease has a clause that spells out termination due to a sale but says tenants will be given prompt notice of said sale.

It’s a notice neighbors say they are still waiting on as of Monday night.

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