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AURORA, Colo. (KDVR) — A concerned viewer is calling on the FOX31 Problem Solvers for help, saying an eviction at her apartment complex is putting her family in danger. 

The eviction is for a neighbor Radiah Rosenburg says she’s never seen before. However, for 24 hours, this neighbor’s belongings were thrown all across both of their walkways, attracting a number of homeless and other people right outside of her family’s front door.

“We came home from the grocery store and there was homeless men outside digging through it, and we obviously have to walk through all of that to get to my front door,” Rosenburg said. “It’s myself and my child and my nephew and with three homeless men outside, so that was the scare.”

While FOX31 cameras were rolling, a team member at the apartment complex told us they, by law, have to leave out the evicted person’s belongings for 24 hours.

Still, Rosenburg questioned the process.

“The law is the law, but why couldn’t they have taken the belongings and put them outside of the gate?” Rosenburg said.

What are Colorado’s eviction rules?

The FOX31 Problem Solvers asked local eviction attorneys about protections for neighbors during eviction processes, as well as if there’s a specific location where landlords need to dump belongings.

“There’s not a specific area that’s written into the law or any of the case law or anything like that,” Kayla Banzali, lead evictions attorney at the firm Robinson and Henry, said. “Legitimately, in the statutes, it’s, ‘Listen to the sheriff.’ So, if the sheriff is saying ‘just throw it out the door,’ then that’s all the landlord has to do.”

Banzali said properties typically have one or two hours to get all of an evicted household’s belongings outside of the residence.

“Trying to do that quickly or trying to move it farther than the door is sometimes a struggle in one or two hours,” Banzali said.

Rosenburg said she understands why these laws are in place but wishes landlords and the officials who enforce these laws would consider neighbors in the process.

“Not being able to come in and out of my house and feel safe is very, very scary,” Rosenburg said.

After FOX31’s story aired Tuesday night we were sent the following statement from the apartment complex:

“We want to thank our residents for bringing this matter to our attention. We have reviewed the situation and have determined that all items have been removed and disposed of. Additionally, we have reviewed our eviction clean out protocols with our Team Members to ensure items are disposed of timely moving forward.”

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