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'They're turning this into a slum' | A trashy situation for tenants at Cheswick Village Apartments

Garbage is piling up at an Indianapolis apartment complex after management took dumpsters away.

INDIANAPOLIS — Imagine living in a community surrounded by trash, and apartments filled with mold, rats and roaches.    

That's what's happening in Cheswick Village Apartments on the northeast side of Indianapolis.

Neighbors say two weeks ago, dumpsters disappeared.

"One day, the bins just was gone. They've been gone for a while and there's just nowhere to put the trash and it's unsafe," said Mike Davis who has lived in the complex for two years.

Tenants say management told them new ones would be installed, but have yet to be replaced.

"This is what you come home to every day. It's depressing sometimes just to ride through here," said Sharon Cathey, who has lived there for four years.  

The leasing office could not answer our questions and gave us the number for a corporate director at Friedman Communities.

We got no answer there, either.

The Marion County Health Department tells 13News they inspected the property on Dec. 9. The health department gave the owner until Dec. 22 to replace dumpsters, and Dec. 23 to clean up the property or go to court.

RELATED: Read Trash Notice of Violations for Cheswick Village

Residents say the problems at Cheswick Village go beyond missing dumpsters.

The problems have reportedly not been addressed by management for more than two years, like broken and boarded-up windows in some units

"Some people go in there and eat and leaving food, which is causing people to have rats, roaches and all that kind of stuff," said Cathey.

One tenant who did not want to be identified said the area has drastically changed.

"The place just looks abandoned. They're turning this into a slum. I mean, whoever it is, in my opinion, is a slum lord," he said.  

"It was a time when I had pretty much a little mini pool in my front room. They had to send someone out to come get our floor dried out," said Davis.

One of many reasons why these neighbors say they've had enough.

"If I don't pay my rent, I'm getting a notice saying I'm going to court. But if you don't do your job, we just have to deal with it and I think that's very unfair," said Cathey.  

Many are now waiting for their lease to end and begin searching for a new place to live.

Credit: WTHR
Trash piled up at the Abington Apartments in Indianapolis.

13News has learned Friedman Communities also owns Abington Apartments on the west side. Tenants there tell 13News they have dumpsters that are overflowing with trash and streetlights that don't work.

They are also concerned about safety.

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