MEMPHIS, Tenn. — The City of Memphis is seeking to label Serenity Towers as a chronic nuisance.
With less than a month to go before Millennia Housing, the property management company for Serenity Towers, faces a judge, lawyers for both the city and the living center appeared in environmental court before Judge Patrick Dandridge on Thursday.
Serenity Towers has been associated with health and safety concerns for years. People have had issues with the buildings, elevators, hot water, AC, doors and bed bugs, which is a new safety concern.
The bedbugs have been identified in at least one unit, and the city believes the bugs are spreading to other units.
Thursday, City attorney Carlissa Shaw said enough is enough.
“Millennia is a problem in our community. As a corporation, they prey on the most vulnerable people in our community," Carlissa Shaw said.
Shaw said since litigation started, Millennia has failed to pay more than $36,000 in unpaid fines associated with this lawsuit and "refused to make meaningful repairs."
Residents at Serenity Towers were without hot water in April, May and June, despite the court's request to fix the issue.
"Taxpayer dollars are being wasted by a corporation who fails to actually do anything," Shaw said.
Shaw said the Uniform Residential Landlord Tenant Act allows for a tenant by court order to go into each of their properties and do inspection without wasting taxpayer money.
"That should be the cost that is born to Millennia and not the City of Memphis," Shaw said.
Before the hearing ended, the judge demanded Millennia to do a sweep of both towers, eliminating bedbugs, and when that sweep is done, the City of Memphis will do their own sweep of both towers, identifying any problems that remain.
The nuisance hearing is on Oct. 15.