FAST FACTS:
(Memphis 3/4/2010) Memphis police are hoping one area of Whitehaven is a little safer after closing what they call a dangerous property.
The Memphis Police Department boarded up an abandoned apartment complex in the 1700 block of East Raines Road that was declared a public nuisance.
The apartments are next to several other complexes and not far from a school and neighbors didn't like what was going on there.
"I stay on the end and you can hear people back and forth all night and going through the fence and stuff like that and a couple of nights my brother saw TV's and everything sitting out there," said Patrick Bailey.
The District Attorney's Office declared the property a public nuisance after police found numerous health and code violations as well as evidence of vandalism, illegal trash dumping and signs vagrants were living on the property.
Neighbors say they sometimes heard fights and gun fire.
"I saw the cops over a couple times and kind of cleared it up," said Maurice Scott.
The abandoned apartment complex looks a lot better than it did one day ago. Public Works says Wednesday it took two hours to remove three truck loads of trash.
Neighbors are glad the city took action but say it's not enough.
"They need to take action and clean it up or clean it up and tear it down and stop all the stuff that is going on out here," said Harold Jackson.
The owner of the property has been ordered to appear in environmental court and fined nearly fifty thousand dollars for the various, fire, health and building code violations.
The owner of the apartments lives in Lake Worth, Florida.
Tennessee law allows the DA's office to bring civil action against establishment deemed a public nuisance.
- Another dangerous property in Memphis is boarded up
- Police closed up the East Raines Luxury Apartments
- Police say the complex was a haven for crime
(Memphis 3/4/2010) Memphis police are hoping one area of Whitehaven is a little safer after closing what they call a dangerous property.
The Memphis Police Department boarded up an abandoned apartment complex in the 1700 block of East Raines Road that was declared a public nuisance.
The apartments are next to several other complexes and not far from a school and neighbors didn't like what was going on there.
"I stay on the end and you can hear people back and forth all night and going through the fence and stuff like that and a couple of nights my brother saw TV's and everything sitting out there," said Patrick Bailey.
The District Attorney's Office declared the property a public nuisance after police found numerous health and code violations as well as evidence of vandalism, illegal trash dumping and signs vagrants were living on the property.
Neighbors say they sometimes heard fights and gun fire.
"I saw the cops over a couple times and kind of cleared it up," said Maurice Scott.
The abandoned apartment complex looks a lot better than it did one day ago. Public Works says Wednesday it took two hours to remove three truck loads of trash.
Neighbors are glad the city took action but say it's not enough.
"They need to take action and clean it up or clean it up and tear it down and stop all the stuff that is going on out here," said Harold Jackson.
The owner of the property has been ordered to appear in environmental court and fined nearly fifty thousand dollars for the various, fire, health and building code violations.
The owner of the apartments lives in Lake Worth, Florida.
Tennessee law allows the DA's office to bring civil action against establishment deemed a public nuisance.
