BILLINGS — Evictions for remaining tenants are now underway at the long-troubled, crime-ridden Colonial Apartments in downtown Billings.
Yellowstone County Sheriff Mike Linder said residents were served eviction notices this week, but deputies are waiting on written orders from the court before taking further action. He expects the paperwork could arrive as soon as next week.
Linder said the timeline is largely controlled by the courts.
“We just hurry up and wait,” he said.
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Michelle Ostrye, attorney for the estate of John Skauge, the complex owner who died last year, said a court status conference was held Jan. 27 and that all eviction paperwork has been sent to the Yellowstone County Sheriff’s Office. She said it is still unclear when deputies will vacate the building.
Once that happens, deputies will conduct a final walkthrough to ensure the building is vacant before it is turned over to the owners. Linder said the process should move quickly, and the building may already be unoccupied.
RiverStone Health is under contract to purchase the Colonial Apartments for $500,000 and plans to demolish the building and expand its existing campus.
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The Colonial Apartments have long been considered a nuisance property, plagued by repeated crime and code violations, and have been the subject of litigation with the city of Billings since 2023.
Despite the building’s condition, a small number of residents have remained inside. Community organizations, including the Continuum of Care, have been working to help displaced tenants find housing, though it remains unclear how many residents are still inside.
The sheriff’s office will not be involved in the demolition, which could happen soon after the building is cleared or after it is boarded up and secured.
