City orders complex to make repairs
A Ridgeland apartment complex has 60 days to correct 1,585 code violations after the city denied the company's appeal for leniency and time.
In a unanimous vote, Ridgeland's Board of Aldermen agreed that Baymeadows Apartments had violated the city's property codes.
With Tuesday night's vote, the owners of the property must cover the costs of repairs for each violation.
The complex still can appeal for more time to complete repairs at the end of the 60 days, city attorney Jerry Mills said. If more time is needed, the business would have to go back to the city board.
The 264-unit property at 110 Pine Knoll Drive initially had appealed the violations issued by Ridgeland code enforcement officers following an inspection over a two-week period in May. The violations were found in the exterior and unoccupied units.
After the board's vote, Lawson Hester, attorney for the apartments' parent company, Baymeadows LLC, said his client will continue to make maintenance its main issue in order to meet city requirements.
Hester said his client estimated the cost of such repairs to exceed $1 million, an amount of money the company doesn't have at this point.
City officials said they are not interested in condemning the property but want the codes followed and repairs made.
With violations ranging from peeling paint and rotten wood to sewage and water leaks, the apartments were served with a notice in June by the city's community development department.
Baymeadows resident Peggy Green said she hopes the complex will make repairs.
"But I'm still going to move," she said.
Green, 31, has lived in the apartment complex for three weeks. In that time, she has dealt with problems such as mold in her refrigerator and corroded doors.
"They're really not taking care of the property," she said. "You really can't get anything done."
Latesha Fleming said she and her family have lived at the complex for about a year.
Other than two problems over that year, Fleming, 16, said she is fine living there.
"The air had been out for a while," the Ridgeland High School student said.
Fleming said it took a week for a response from maintenance after the family had complained.
"So they moved us into another apartment," Fleming said, adding that she and her family are now back in their original apartment where the "air is working fine."
In 2006, the same complex was issued 73 code violations by city officials.
Chris Ramsey, a building and code enforcement inspector for the city, said one of those violations include green water collecting in an empty swimming pool.
That same violation was found in this year's inspection, Ramsey said. After viewing recent photos from the pool, Ramsey said it appears the problem was resolved.
CL
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