Landlords given 90 days to clean up or tear down

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Landlords given 90 days to clean up or tear down

By TONYA SMITH-KING

tsmithking@...

Oct 6, 2007

http://www.jacksonsun.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071006/NEWS01/710060311/1\

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The owners of Southside Apartments must

repair buildings at the complex or demolish them within 90 days of an order the

city building inspector issued Friday.The order followed a surprise inspection

in August that found problems, including signs of mold, rodents, water damage, a

shelf in front of a heater and a hole left in an exterior wall when a car

crashed into a building.

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" Generally, what we're asking the landowner to do is to

repair or replace, " City Attorney Cobb said Friday. " As long as he's

willing to fix the problems, we're willing to give him time. "

Cobb said the city only moves to have a property demolished when owners are not

willing to make repairs.Don Gutgsell and his son, Cory Gutgsell, and Randall

Page own the apartments. Neither the Gutgsells nor Page could be reached Friday

evening for comment. Their attorney, Riddick, did not return calls to his

cell phone and home Friday night.

Jim , director of the City of Building & Housing Codes

Department, issued the order. It resulted from a hearing held Thursday on the

matter.

's order gave owners 10 days from Friday to hire a structural engineer

that his department must approve. The engineer must fully inspect all structures

at the property, according to the order. The engineer's report must be turned

into 's office within that 10 days.

Owners also were ordered to hired " a qualified and licensed architect or

engineer to prepare and submit a complete set of renovation/repair building

construction plans, " the order said. Those plans must be turned into 's

office within the next 15 days.

also ordered the owners to obtain permits from his department for all

repair work that must be performed, except for painting and carpet work. The

work must be performed by state licensed construction contractors, the order

said.

Finally, ordered repairs to be done within the next three months " ...

in such a manner as to make the property safe and fit for human occupation ..., "

the order said. If that isn't done the structures must be demolished, the order

said.

Owners agreed at Thursday's hearing to fix problems but complained the

inspectors' reports were not clear on where problems were in the building.

They also contended that most of the problems highlighted at the hearing were

limited to six burned-out apartments that have been unoccupied for more than a

year.

Riddick also added that the inspection reports did not specifically identify the

city codes violated and the remedies needed to bring the problems up to code.

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