MEMPHIS, Tennessee – After months of complaints and code inspection violations, things are finally looking up for Serenity Towers.
A lawyer told the court that the problems with no air conditioning, no hot water and growing mold in the senior high-rise building were all fixed.
But one ongoing problem that is being addressed is bed bugs.
“A subsequent inspection was conducted by Code Enforcement to confirm what the attorney says the apartment complex is now compliant with the exception of the bed bugs,” Environmental Court Justice Patrick Dandridge said.
96 units have been treated so far, including 13 units treated on Wednesday.
“They’ve started tackling the bed bugs, but it’s taking a while because you’re talking about 250 residents there,” said Shelby County District Attorney Micheal McCusker. “They try to go from floor to floor.”
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The district attorney’s office, which has been pushing for Serenity to be cleaned up, said it’s a step in the right direction. We were told that one thing that made these improvements possible was that residents spoke up and asked for help.
“They’ve learned to stand up for themselves, and they can’t stop standing up for themselves,” McCusker said.
Serenity Towers’ attorney declined to speak after the hearing. They have to go back to court on August 11th for an update, specifically on the bed bug issue.
After the court case is complete, the judge will decide what type of fine Serenity should pay.
“I should remind everyone that Serenity Tower is not going anywhere from this court until it is fully compliant, and then I can still put it on a surveillance basis given Serenity Towers’ history,” Justice Dandridge said.
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