'We've been put through hell': These Las Vegas seniors were given just days to pack up and leave their independent living home after the property was sold

“They’re talking about locking doors and putting our stuff out on the curb,” Virginia Collins told the local broadcaster in a story published Jan. 23. “We’ve been put through hell.”

Collins contacted Channel 13 in an effort to get help for herself and her fellow housemates before they'd be left homeless. She also says the issues at the home started before they received the notice to leave.

Maintenance issues

A letter from the care company that owned the home, Varsobia Home Care Services, stated the property needed repairs in preparation for its sale, reports the broadcaster, prompting the request for residents to move out.

There were signs of trouble at the home even before residents were informed of the sale. Collins noted the house didn't have hot water. Residents also claimed the power was turned off, and one of them ended up opening a new account in their own name to get it back on.

Apparently this isn’t the first time a property owned by this particular company has had issues. Last summer, Channel 13 reported on another property just a few blocks away where residents were left without air conditioning during a heat wave. In that case, the air conditioning was fixed after the story was broadcast. Collins’s situation had a similarly bittersweet conclusion.

On Jan. 30, the day residents had to leave the home, members of the community turned out to help, per Channel 13, including county officials and a local moving company that offered to pack up belongings free of charge.

“You just can’t be a person who says you care about the community, but you’re not involved at all,” a local who came to lend a hand told the broadcaster.

Other community members offered housing, food and even donations to smooth the residents’ transition to new housing.