Share this @internewscast.com
CHICAGO (CBS)– Families are taking legal action after three women were found dead at Sneider Apartments in Chicago’s Rogers Park neighborhood after complaints that the air conditioning wasn’t turned on during a hot week.
One of the women’s families has field a wrongful death lawsuit against the owner of the building.
The lawsuit alleges that the building continued to operate the heating system two weeks ago, despite abnormally warm temperatures.
The papers are show a trail of warnings and complaints in the days beforehand from both people who live there and local Alderman Maria Hadden.
They said she asked them about turning on the cooling system and management did not agree. The cooling system was turned on the day after the woman were found dead.
The women who died were 76, 68 and 72 years old.
The Sneider Apartments house seniors and people with disabilities.
Residents and relatives told CBS 2 the building was sweltering.
“There’s been many complaints well over 90 degrees in the units in the daytime, especially when the sun’s really high and peaking through the apartments,” said Rhondisha Harris, the granddaughter of a resident. “There’s no proper ventilation as well in the apartments. There’s no exhaust fans in the bathrooms, so when you take a shower you have to be very careful not to make the water too hot or you will pass out.”