City: Apopka Apartments Unsafe Long Before Tornado Hit

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City: Apopka Apartments Unsafe Long Before Tornado Hit

Building Officials Want Apartments Leveled

WESH.com - Winter Park,FL

POSTED: 6:50 pm EDT October 10, 2006

UPDATED: 7:08 pm EDT October 10, 2006

http://www.wesh.com/news/10046852/detail.html

APOPKA, Fla. -- An Apopka tornado that touched down this weekend did

more than chase renters out of their homes.

City officials said it opened their eyes to a building that was

unsafe long before the twister hit, WESH 2 News reported.

The building is on South Forest Avenue in Apopka, and it had a dozen

or so apartments.

It is only about three blocks from City Hall, but officials there

said they were stunned to uncover conditions in the building while

investigating the storm damage.

City officials said the stairs are so dry-rotted and infested with

termites that they're not sure how they hold up to any weight. Many

of the apartments had leaks and electrical problems before the storm

hit.

" The storm brought to the light of day some existing problems with

the building, " said Ray Marsh, Apopka's top building official.

He pointed to broken smoke detectors, a post holding up a sagging

ceiling and cracked ceilings.

" The mentality was that caulk and paint would hide it, " Marsh said.

All over Parkside Center, he found problems which have nothing to do

with Saturday's tornado. He said the problems existed long before

the tornado ripped the roof off the building.

Some rooms had floor-to-ceiling mold. There was so much mold that

it's growing on the clothes in the closet.

The renters paid $600 a month.

" I don't think (the owners) were providing very much except for a

roof that didn't hold up during high winds and four walls, " Marsh

said. " Four extremely moldy walls. "

Marsh said he told the owner the city won't let him fix the place.

" This building is not salvageable, and I seriously doubt he will be

able to find a structural engineer who will come in here and

say, 'We can make this building safe and up to code,' " Marsh said.

Marsh said since the owner was told he can't fix the building, he

has stopped returning the city's calls.

WESH 2's calls have not been returned either.

" This building is irreparable. It is clearly unsafe, and it is not

fit for anyone to live in, regardless of their economic conditions, "

Marsh said.

He said he wants the building to be leveled.

Marsh said he checked his records at City Hall and there are no

complaints about the building. He said people have to speak up if

the city is going to act.

The city said it will do all it can to not only condemn the building

but also the city plans to fine the owner.

City officials said buildings can't do the talking. People living in

bad conditions have to let them know.

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