Families left to fend for themselves after asbestos cleanup efforts stall at Denver condo complex

Families who live and own property at Atlantis Condominiums have been out of their homes for three weeks



By: Danielle Kreutter
 Apr 23, 2023

DENVER — Families who live and own property at Atlantis Condominiums on Hale Parkway in Denver have been out of their homes for three weeks, forced to fend for themselves as asbestos cleanup efforts stall.

Denver7 has been covering what's becoming a common problem in Colorado. We've shared the story of owners at Club Valencia who have been out of their homes for months after a major asbestos problem was discovered following a fire at the Parker Road complex.

Owners at Atlantis Condominiums also have no timeline on when they can go back home after they said asbestos was discovered in their building and they were told to evacuate on March 27.

"They told us it would be a week, then we'll be able to come home. Now it's been three weeks," said one homeowner who did not want to be identified, but said he was compelled to share the story about what his family and dozens of other owners are going through.

Condo owners aren't allowed back and anything inside is likely contaminated. He, his wife and their newborn baby have been staying in a hotel since then.

"We spent months just trying to prepare for the newborn baby, but now everything that we have in the condo, most of the things, they're going to be thrown away," he said. "I also work from home. That's my main source of income, so now I can't work."

Residents told Denver7 that the announcement about asbestos came not long after renovations began. The building manager said the exact cause is under investigation.

The family said their homeowner's insurance company told them their personal policy does not cover asbestos. The building's insurance is what would cover them.

Weeks have gone by with no progress and clean-up has yet to start. Homeowners are feeling the financial pinch.

"We are paying for the mortgage. We're paying for the hotel expenses. We didn't even enjoy the first few weeks that we were planning to enjoy with our newborn baby," the homeowner said.

The building manager told Denver7 the board is working with the building's insurance company and a vendor's insurance company to see who will cover the cleanup.

"We don't know if we would be able to live in that building anymore. We don't even know if we're financially able to afford buying a new property, even if we want to move out. This is messing up plans that we've been having for years," the homeowner said.

He is hoping for answers soon for all the homeowners who have been left to fend for themselves.

In the meantime, he has set up a GoFundMe to raise money to cover the out-of-pocket costs piling up while his family waits for the cleanup to begin. Click here if you'd like to support it.