WAUKESHA, Wis. (CBS 58) — Condo owners gathered again today, exactly one year after police forced them to evacuate their Waukesha homes over fears the building would collapse.
There are 48 units inside Horizon West Condos. Residents recall the anxiety they felt on those cold nights. Some seniors and some teenagers who are home alone have one thing in common: a heartache they just can't shake.
“We're still here. It's not gone for them,” said Diane McGeen, the condo owner's daughter.
Diane McGeen's 87-year-old mother has had a difficult year, living in fear after being evicted from her four-story home in the Horizon West Condos.
“When the Titanic sank, it was almost like being on top of it. In 15 minutes, you get out of here and you’ll never live here again,” McGeen said.
This is now the Horizon West Condos on West Avenue in Waukesha. A year ago, it was deemed structurally inadequate.
“There was panic everywhere, people in the hallways saying, 'Is this true? Is this true? Is this really happening?'” McGinn said.
The scars had physical and emotional consequences.
“When I moved, I got a stress fracture in my back and I started having more heart problems because of that,” McGeen said.
Now, Ione Kohler is back in the hospital for the sixth time in the last year.
“And before that, she was vibrant and active and very healthy,” McGeen said.
Some of the 48 households affected are still homeless, living with family and sleeping on sofas. Some people who choose to rent their apartments have taken a hit to their credit as they can no longer pay their mortgage.
“Last year was pretty hectic. For the first two or three months, I fell into a pretty deep depression,” said condo owner Laurel Peterson.
Laurel Peterson showed her daughter photos from her second-floor condo before rushing out.
“We grabbed what we could. We didn’t know where it was going to go or what exactly was happening,” Peterson said.
The condo owners did everything they could, including filing a lawsuit against their travel insurance company for failing to pay, but the judge ruled against them. The owners are appealing. Meanwhile, the city is forcing condo owners to pay for the demolition of their buildings.
“Of course, we are all in such financial straits that it would be next to impossible to come up with that kind of cash on our own,” Peterson said.
There is a January hearing at which a Waukesha County judge is expected to consider demolition of the building.