Milwaukee apartment complex TCE settlement, tenants find relief

MILWAUKEE - Residents of a Milwaukee apartment complex who were forced to evacuate due to a chemical concern reached a settlement for their trouble Thursday, Oct. 19.

"Everyone wants to see nice affordable housing in the inner city," said Attorney Michael Cerjak.

Tenants at Community Within The Corridor, near 32nd and Center, thought that's what they'd be getting. Instead, health officials shut the building down after finding high levels of a toxic chemical called TCE.

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"These folks were in quite a difficult circumstance and a difficult time in their lives, and we wanted to try and help them," Cerjak said.

Cerjak filed a class action lawsuit on behalf of tenants "to give people another option," he said. Many tenants felt they had only one option: to sign a voluntary lease termination and receive $5,000 dollars. The attorney said, for 21 tenants who did not sign it, it was worth the wait.

"I think everyone wants to move forward from this on both sides of the aisle, and we are pleased to get it resolved in a timely manner," he said.

Cerjak said his firm and the apartment complex reached a settlement. Each unit will be given $25,000 and have the option to file a civil suit for possible TCE exposure. 

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"I think it's going to give them the opportunity to give them some relief," he said. 

Cerjak said they are just waiting for a judge to approve the settlement in next couple of weeks. FOX6 reached out to the apartment complex to see if tenants can ever return to the east wing apartments, and was told there is optimism for the future.