Tenants at a Florida apartment complex are scared and angry because the company that manages their property is not letting them board up their windows for Hurricane Irma.
Local news station WPTV reports that property management company Services Taylor Made, Inc. sent a letter to renters at the Colony Park apartment complex this week telling them they are not allowed to shutter their windows without offering them any rationale for the decision.
"Understand that while we empathize with your need to protect your personal property, boarding up your residence is NOT something you are allowed to do," the letter states.
The apartment complex does have window shutters that are locked inside maintenance closets that were put there for the specific purpose of boarding up windows during hurricanes -- but Services Taylor Made still isn't letting the tenants use them.
"Previous years we’ve had property managers that have allowed the maintenance men to open up the doors and the tenants would go in and get the shutters that are underneath the steps over here and they supplied the bolts," Colony Park resident Del Vargas tells WPTV. "When I asked [a company representative] today, she said, 'Corporate said no, no shutters.' I’m like wait a second, the governor said make a plan, get it done."
Tenants told WPTV that they are outraged by the company's decision.
“It’s humans, people living here," resident Genesis Aldorado said.
“My child and her child and everybody’s child are more important than the rules of this community," said resident Brittany Duarete.
Raw Story reached out to Services Taylor Made to get the company's side of the story. However, the representative who answered the phone at the company's main office hung up immediately when asked about its policies on Colony Park window shutters.
Watch WPTV's video report on Colony Park below.