Hundreds of residents of a Plainfield apartment complex were told that they must vacate their homes due to building code violations.

Plainfield Mayor Adrian Mapp revealed that city inspectors found gas leaks, sewage leaks, mold and mouse droppings in the apartment complex that was suddenly condemned on Tuesday.

The building has 49 units. On Wednesday, those tenants at 501 and 515 West Seventh St., who are in effect homeless, went over to City Hall to get answers.

Families waited outside of Plainfield City Hall until Mapp told them why the building had to be shut down. Tenants can no longer live in the building, but they’ll be given three days to pack up their belongings and move out. They will also get five days days’ worth of hotel stays from the city.

Inspectors found the violations after a call from a concerned tenant. The city revealed that state officials cited the building owners for 235 violations in 2022, but apparently nothing was ever repaired.

The mayor told tenants from the steps of City Hall, “It is clear to us that this landlord is heartless and uncaring about his tenants and is driven by greed and profit.”

One of the tenants forced to move out is Estephany Blanco. She has lived in the building for 25 years and now lives there as a single mom with her 5-year-old daughter Scarlett.

“I haven’t finished packing any of my things. I can’t say I have an extra $10,000 lying around to find somewhere to live,” Blanco says. “We don’t have other family members here that we can just go and stay at.”

Tenants send their rent checks to a company called Cyclone Investments. The city says the company is owned by two men - Charles Aryeh and Aaron Eichron. Both are from New York.

The mayor says the owners made no promises to help tenants or make needed repairs.