Saline MI
11-06-2025 1:41am

Dozens of Thorncrest Apartment Tenants to Lose Housing Just Before the Holidays

One of the Thorncrest Apartment buildings was fenced off after a roof collapse several years ago.

The City of Saline will reach out to Thorncrest Apartment residents who may be forced from their apartments next month. 

Mayor Brian Marl said the city is planning an event for affected residents. Officials from the city,  county and other agencies will be at the meeting.

"We will offer whatever support/assistance we can," Marl said.

Marl said approximately 40 of the nearly 100 tenants have received notices.

Dozens of Thorncrest tenants received notices that their month-to-month leases are up and they will be required to move out by Dec. 5. These notices were dated Oct. 31.

Residents were told by POAA Rentals that they must remove their personal belongings from the premises by then. Residents who don't move by Dec. 5 may be taken to court for eviction purposes.

City records show the company ownership has changed from Nam Investments LLC to Thorncrest Apartments LLC. Anthony Nam remains the name of the agent for the company. But apparently, the property has a new owner, and the city plans to meet the owner on Thursday.

POAA Rentals is the property management company.

"A meeting will be held with the new owners this Thursday then a press release will be issued after we have definitive answers and information to provide," said Chris Atkin, Community Development Director for Saline.

On social media, County Commissioner Shannon Beeman has offered to assist residents.

The city sued Thorncrest several years ago for allowing the property to fall into disrepair. One resident on Saline Posts noted she had let the city in to photograph and video the apartment for the lawsuit.

"So it definitely feels retaliatory," she said.

The same resident said that all of the tenants who received the notice had at least one person in the household on social security disability.

The amount of notice may meet legal requirements, but it's leaving affected residents scrambling.

"I live here now with my mom, 84 years old, and I have no idea where we are going to go," said one resident.

Residents don't understand why some are being forced to leave while others are allowed to stay.

"Some people get to stay. We have been here nearly 20 years, and we are being told we have to leave. No explanation why," one tenant said.

The city's case against Thorncrest Apartments continues in front of Judge Tracy Van den Bergh in the 22nd District Court. There is a show-cause hearing at 2:30 p.m., Nov. 12.

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11-06-2025 7:41am

This sound cruel on the surface. Landlords have rights too, they also have expenses. Does the city inspect these properties like the surrounding cities do ? Once your lease expires ask for a new lease otherwise you are month to month. Either party can give the other party thirty day notice to move out. In practice this takes generally a longer period of time however. Which is turn drives costs to landlord that they recover in higher rents for all. 

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11-06-2025 8:25am

This is the unintended consequence of a government becoming more authoritarian and more punitive. Think about it. Would you keep a tennant on your property if they were involved with the city in suing you? Law suits are painful. And think about the hundreds of thousands, perhaps millions of dollars in property taxes this owner has paid Saline over the years. What if Mary and Joseph sued the innkeeper because they were unhappy with their accommodations in the manger? It would have been a different Bible story. Instead we are greatful to the innkeeper.  If not for the otherwise poor accommodations, Jesus would have been born in the cold on the side of the road. Let's be clear, these folks would still be in their apartment if the city didn't adopt and enforce this new punitive code on landlord. Perhaps the conditions at the apartment would not have improved but at least the residents could have had time to find better accommodations. We are clearly a city, a society and a culture in decline. 

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11-06-2025 10:03am

Tenants should have been moved out a long time ago. Some apartments don’t have running water or heat. It is my understanding that tenants shave not paid rent for the last year because conditions were so bad. A why didn’t the city knowing the conditions were so bad start helping each resident find a new home and not just all the sudden have so many tenants have to find a new home. Where are these people supposed to go? The price for an apartment in Saline has increased so much as well as homes and taxes that it is forcing people out. Saline needs another HUD apartment complex to help community members who can’t afford over a 1000.00 a month for rent. Could temporary housing be set up somewhere to assist these people? 

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11-17-2025 12:07am

Did the meeting with new owners happen?

"A meeting will be held with the new owners this Thursday then a press release will be issued after we have definitive answers and information to provide," said Chris Atkin, Community Development Director for Saline.

Wonder how this hearing went?

The city's case against Thorncrest Apartments continues in front of Judge Tracy Van den Bergh in the 22nd District Court. There is a show-cause hearing at 2:30 p.m., Nov. 12.

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