MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Serenity Towers has been fined $5,000 by the Shelby County Environmental Court on Tuesday after being in legal trouble for weeks after no air conditioning, no hot water, black mold, and an insect infestation were reported at the complex.
According to a code enforcement inspection report that was released Thursday, 35 out of 37 units in the West wing did not have working hot water, heat, or air conditioning while 20 out of the 37 units still had mold and bed bugs. The stoves were not working in 17 of the units as well.
One resident at the facility died last week. The cause of death has not been released
On Thursday, workers with Memphis Public Works planned to inspect around 240 units but they couldn’t get each unit due to some apartments being infested with bed bugs, according to code enforcement.
This resulted in inspectors only relying on residents’ words to confirm the claimed conditions.
Shelby County Environmental Court Judge Patrick Dandridge says the conditions need to be verified in its entirety by actual inspections.
Judge Dandridge is giving the government-subsidized high-rise until Friday to address the problem. During court, he said he has seen little progress.
“You are moving in the wrong direction,” he said. “You have to show progress.”
The problem in the building was so bad code inspectors had to suit up in protective gear before going inside to do inspections Monday.
“One of the workers from the city went in there the other day was only in the lobby and left with bed bugs,” Assistant District Attorney Michael McCusker said. “The ultimate test on the fines will come when there is an evidentiary hearing to determine how long they were without air, how long they were without water. Based on that the court is indicating that could cost up to 50 dollars per day per unit and that would be significant.”
That inspection concluded of the 216 air conditioning units they were able to inspect. 87 were not working. There are also at least 95 units with no hot water and 103 without a working stove.
Serenity attorney Ben Sissman said they are addressing the complaints.
“They were working on the air last night, after hours. I don’t know where they were,” he said. “I know where they started I don’t know where they are.”
The Judge has given Serenity until Friday to show progress on making repairs or be hit with even more fines.
Serenity is due back in court on Friday.
The Department of Housing and Urban development said it was their understanding that repairs by the property managers were underway:
“Millennia Housing Management of Cleveland, OH is the property management for Serenity Towers. Millennia has reported to HUD that the chiller (A/C) has been repaired. Millennia has also reported workers are onsite making various repairs including blowers that are not blowing.”
