Photo: Suzanne Sausville/WBZ NewsRadio
BROOKLINE, Mass. (WBZ NewsRadio) — A bed bug infestation has taken over Concorde Condos in the town of Brookline.
"This building is so well maintained. This problem started with hoarding in one unit. Right now, I think there are eight units that are impacted. Not ours," said Richard Rubin.
Rubin lives on the fourth floor of the building. Although his condo wasn't impacted, he still lays plastic on the bottom of his front door as a precautionary measure.
More than 100,000 bed bugs were discovered in one unit in the building inhabited by an elderly woman who suffers from a hoarding disorder. Residents filed the first complaint about the issue on April 30, but according to Rubin, proper protocols had to be followed before the city could intervene.
"The way it was, by having to get a court order. And in the court order, it delayed us by the terms of the court order as well as the time to get the court order."
Court documents received and filed by Norfolk County on June 4 stated the owner of the condo had seven days to clean and restore her unit and hire an exterminator. The order allowed the staff to enter the unit without the resident's permission if she wasn't in compliance by June 24.
"Right now, she's cooperating. And she leaves with the workers come in and hopefully it will continue," said Rubin.
Two families with young children have moved out of the building because of the bed bugs. Exterminators have already begun removing the thousands of bed bugs in the main contaminated unit before treating the others.
WBZ NewsRadio’s Suzanne Sausville (@WBZSausville) reports.