Lawsuit Claims Tulsa Apartment Complex Owners ‘Illegally & Ruthlessly’ Took Advantage Of Tenants

A class-action lawsuit filed against the Vista Shadow Mountain apartment complex owners claims the complex "illegally and ruthlessly" took advantage of tenants and left their units in horrible condition.

Last Friday, the last of the complex's tenants moved out after the fire marshal declared it unlivable. 

Related Story: Volunteers Helping Families Move Out Of Vista Shadow Mountain Apartment Complex

The lawsuit said Vista Shadow Mountain took advantage of its tenants and went against their rights, all while forcing them to live in dirty and dangerous conditions.

“I had no living room insulation, torn out walls, no roof wires, no carpet," said Adriana Darden.

Adriana Darden said her last few months living at Vista Shadow Mountain were awful. She said she lived there for two years but things weren't bad until they came in for an inspection. 

She said the complex ripped out her walls and exposed wires, didn’t fix it for weeks, and then forced her to move out, deeming it uninhabitable.

"What they did to us was not okay, we shouldn't have to live like that," Darden said.

She said she has a baby, and it took her almost two months to find a new place to live.

Darden moved out last month, before the Tulsa Fire Marshal deemed the whole complex unlivable.

Related Story: Vista Shadow Mountain Tenants Told To Move Out Within 2 Weeks

Her story is similar to those of hundreds of people who used to live at Vista Shadow Mountain.

“It was truly an awful last few months there," she said.

Now, a class action lawsuit has been filed against the owners of the complex.

It recounts the stories of two women who lived there until last Tuesday and said hundreds of other tenants deserve reimbursement and justice.

The lawsuit said the owners “must be held accountable for flagrant and illegal mistreatment of its tenants.”

It says that “maintenance was deferred, utility bills went unpaid” and residents had to live in “unsanitary and unsafe conditions for years.”

The lawsuit said apartment management threatened and lied to tenants to try to force them out. It also demands a jury trial and compensation for all the affected tenants.

"I hope we get justice and a little reimbursement," Darden said.

The attorney who filed the lawsuit said he wants the tenants to be made whole and prevent this tragedy from ever happening again.

News On 6 tried to contact the company who owns the complex and haven't heard back. 

A local nonprofit is collecting essentials like soap and toothpaste for former residents temporarily living in hotels. If you’d like to help, click here.