MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Serenity Towers owners were supposed to be in court on Thursday to submit a plan to fix the air conditioning and elevators, but the apartment complex says there is no plan.

The chiller and elevators are over 55 years old, and according to lawyers for Serenity Towers, they are aware that the whole system will have to be modernized, which will require large amounts of money.

Judge Patrick Dandridge is not buying it. 

“This is the first time I heard that there’s a malfunction in the system. It doesn’t matter at all whether or not there is a storm or not. That’s a total new ball game,” said Dandridge.

According to court documents, only one elevator works in each building and there are more than 200 units without air conditioning.

“If you don’t have adequate resources to protect the tenants that are there, then maybe HUD needs to investigate whether or not this needs to be shut down,” said Dandridge.

Judge Dandridge says that Serenity Towers will have funding coming from the state which will allegedly be provided by the end of November or beginning of December and utilized to replace the chiller.

The money would also allegedly be used to update the elevators.

Thursday, Judge Dandridge fined the complex $6,000 in addition to the $50 a day it is paying for each unit without air conditioning.

He also appointed someone to visit Serenity Towers on Highland to determine if the complex should remain open.

Serenity Towers will be back in court next week.