Former tenants of a fire-gutted rooming house at 355 Augusta Ave. got rent refund checks from their landlord Friday.

Pat Elsner, the group’s realtor, said a decision was made last week to destroy the building, prompting the reimbursement.

“We were waiting for the insurance committee to release the money,” Elsner said. She said the 24 former tenants received about one-third of the amount specified in their contracts, which varied in amount.

A Thursday afternoon meeting between the tenants and DeKalb Mayor Greg Sparrow also might have caused the partial reimbursement, said former tenant John Nicolaus.

“It was a good discussion,” Nicolaus said. “We’re pretty satisfied with the city.”

Nicolaus said Bill Nicklas, DeKalb Building and Community Services director, called the building’s owner, Elsner Realty, 100 W. Lincoln Hwy., Thursday.

“We got the checks the next day,” Nicolaus said. “Everything seems to be in order. We’re very pleased with how the city reacted, especially Mayor Sparrow.”

“The meeting went well,” Sparrow said. “Their major concern was the money. They needed to live somewhere and didn’t have the financial resources.”

Sparrow said Nicklas and Assistant Fire Chief Reuben Nelson attended the meeting to answer questions. The group also asked about the cause of the fire, but Sparrow said the incident was still under investigation. “No one had any answers at that time,” he said.

Fire gutted the house Feb. 16, apparently caused by electrical problems, fire department officials said. There was about $300,000 damage.

The group is also looking into possible grandfather clauses concerning older houses under current building codes, former tenant Lisa Hunt said.

unt said Thursday’s meeting was a lesson for the group. “We learned things we should have done, like making sure the city knows things in the future” instead of only the building’s manager, she said. “The city is behind us.”