After being forced to abruptly leave the Lakemill Lodge on Wednesday due to a sudden enforcement shutdown, former residents have since spoken anonymously to Our Town Reno on the chaos and difficulties they’ve encountered since.
They say they’ve been set up by ownership, Brar Hotels Incorporated, in other motel-type lodgings but that they are seeking legal advice and considering a lawsuit.
A Kanwal Brar is listed as the Reno-based GM of Brar Hotels Inc. on LinkedIn but did not respond to a message there.
One former Lakemill Lodge tenant had to leave her cat who had just had new kittens, all inside. Another had a full fridge and all her costly dog food was also left behind. One person who had barricaded themselves inside got shot by police on Thursday and transported to a hospital. One tenant was put in with another family, even though she wanted her own room.
At the time of the forced evacuation, tenants were rushing outside, with whatever they thought of taking, while confused children cried, people working or sleeping were being texted to frantically, and doors were being knocked on.
“We were rushed out like a fire from our rooms by the cops,” one wrote to us in a text message.
Former residents there described the Lakemill as having challenges, with no AC, and occasional “shady characters” coming through, some not living there and dealing drugs, or sleeping in stairwells, and some not being able to pay for more than a few weeks before being evicted.
They said there were good sides as well though to living there. One said she had a portable burner, a lovely counter top oven, and a full size fridge.
More than 100 rooms were reportedly occupied, when Northern Nevada Public Health decided to close it after inspectors found used drug syringes and human waste in stairwells and common areas.
“Tenants were in the total dark,” of this shutdown happening, one tenant said.
One rented a nice, large studio apartment for $800, with utilities included.
“We had wifi too, but they shut that off when they started painting the outside,” she said.
She said no background or credit checks were needed and that it was a huge savings for her compared to a Siegel Suites on 7th street where she used to have to pay a $1400 monthly rate, including pet fees, for a much smaller studio.
“The maintenance are awesome....they really did try...they live there too,” she said about staff at the Lakemill Lodge, which had recently gone through an exterior overhaul.
After the evacuation, she said the owners set her up by evening in the Travelodge on Virginia Street near I-80, which she says they also seem to own.
It got off to a rough start though, as she immediately had to get rubbing alcohol to kill off several bed bugs (one shown in photo). Plus, since then, she says she hasn’t been given access to the continental breakfast most other guests are getting at that location.
She has a car and has been driving people around to different pantries to get food and clothes for others who have been displaced, and are encountering even more difficulties.
Rent, she says, was paid in two week increments at Lakemill, and her next payment was due next Friday. She first arrived in Reno after fleeing a California fire which ravaged her old town and now this, she says. Her boyfriend has a job, and she has a car and lives off of Social Security, but fears for other former neighbors, and how they might end up totally unhoused.