HARRODSBURG, Ky. (LEX 18) — Last week, LEX 18 reported about residents in Danville getting a notice, that they had a week to move out without reason. Now, residents in Harrodsburg got a similar notice.
That notice informed residents they need to pay double for a units price or move out, all under the same investment company. LEX 18 went to Harrodsburg to speak with the residents about the dilemma.
"It's just immediate panic set in because one, this place isn't worth one-thousand dollars that they're trying to charge us," says Haley Perkins, a resident who decided not to sign the new lease.
"They should know people in this area can't afford that," explains Brian Bentley, another resident choosing not to stay.
Haley and her husband, Jared Perkins, have two young daughters — ages two and four. The family first moved into their unit six years ago in June 2018.
Bentley is a single teacher and has also lived in his unit for seven years, building a life for himself. Now, Haley and Brian will have to say goodbye to their home.
Barrel Creek Investments is on the path of removing more residents from its complexes, after taping notices to Harrodsburg residents doors to inform them: "We have to sign a lease by the 29th which was exactly one week to make a decision," explains Bentley.
Residents were given the option to agree to a nearly doubled rent price of $900 a month — $950 for new residents — from $500, or get out. No reason was provided.
"[I] don't have the money to pay $900 a month, so it puts me in very dire straights," admits Bentley.
"Our kids daycare is here. We've built a life here pretty much, so it's just panic set in. And we had that 'what are we going to do?' moment," Perkins says.
Several others, including Perkins and Bentley, are scrambling to keep their heads above water and figure out, what's next?
"We don't want to have to disrupt their whole life just because ours was," explains Perkins, "So no matter where we go, I'm going to have to commute back to Harrodsburg back to Frankfort and wherever we decide to go."
Even Bentley admits, "I don't really trust them to rent from them."
Residents in Danville and Harrodsburg have expressed how unethical they believe it all is.
"Make sure you have a lease, know your rights, um, look into the companies you're renting from," says Bentley.
"How dare you come in and disrupt our entire lives. You don't know what you're doing to these families. We're lucky enough to have support the way we do," Perkins says passionately, "But not everybody has this and not everybody has a double income."
Barrel Creek Investments has still not responded to LEX 18 regarding these situations.
