Management and residents agree that the 30-year-old buildings need renovation. However, Sharon Fried, who had lived in her apartment for seven years, felt that residents should have been given more warning.

"A year ago Aimco sent out a notice saying that they were going to renovate the buildings. The notice said that they would not renew leases, except on a month-to-month basis. At that time, Aimco couldn’t get their permits into place, so they told the residents that the project was canceled and not to worry about it. Then, they went back to long term leases, with the clause that states that the company may give 30 days warning in order to remodel."

Fried added, "Even though they were within their legal rights, from a human point of view, the company’s actions are unethical. If the company had given us 60 to 90 days of warning, we wouldn’t have been sent scurrying for a place to live. They must have known ahead of time about the plan to renovate." 

She said the end of August was a difficult time to find housing, with C.U. students returning and school starting for younger children. She feels more fortunate than many of the residents, because she wants to buy a house, so she was planning to move anyway. 

However, she had to come up with $2,500 for a temporary room plus moving and storage costs until she finds a house. And she "had a hell of a time finding a room" to rent.

A family from her building was faced with moving just as school was starting. They did not know which school their children would attend or even which district. 

Another neighbor signed a six-month lease and moved in just two days before the residents got the letter. Now he has additional moving costs, plus the utility deposits, cost of phone hook-up, etc. 

Thomasson said the company regrets that they were unable to give the residents more notice. She stated, "The Meadow Creek Apartment complex has been identified as needing renovation for quite some time. Since April of 1998, every resident had signed a lease addendum which stated that when the renovation project was to begin, they would be given 30 days notice to vacate. There has never been a discussion of the renovation not occurring. It was just a question of when it would begin. The residents knew it was coming."

On a Friday, July 23 Aimco received notice from the construction company that the permits had come through. The following Monday, they sent notices to residents that they had to be out of apartments by September 1, which gave them 36 days notice. 

The company understands the lack of affordable housing in Boulder. Thomasson said they had stopped renting in the other Meadow Creek buildings to make apartments available for residents who had to move. At least 10 families have moved to other buildings.