Apartment complex owners face fines for nonfunctioning lights and other fire safety violations.
By: Melissa Hayes
The parking lot lights are still out at Deans Apartments and property manager Lower County Management of Sicklerville is going to have to pay.
Ron Schmalz, public information coordinator for the township, said Wednesday that the management company for the affordable housing complex will be fined $2,500 for the nonfunctioning lights and $700 for various other fire safety violations. The matter will be heard in Municipal Court at a later date.
"That will be adjudicated, but a court date hasn’t been set yet," Mr. Schmalz said.
Residents have been complaining about problems at the apartment complex for several months and have gone to the Township Council on several occasions seeking help.
The council and the township manager sent inspectors to the property in late July. Inspectors found exposed broken electrical wires, overgrown shrubs, a large puddle in front of one of the buildings, crumbling sidewalks, broken gutters, mildew on the backs of most buildings and broken sliding screen doors on many units. They also found that most of the parking lot lights were broken.
After the inspections, the township gave Lower County Management a month to make repairs to the complex, or more fines would be levied.
Deputy Fire Marshal Michael Whelan was on site Friday and told Mr. Schmalz that about 50 percent of the requested fire safety repairs had been made.
The management company asked for additional time on Friday to make the repairs. The company now has until the third week of September, Mr. Schmalz said. They include the repairs to sliding glass doors, he said.
The property may be sold in the near future to a nonprofit that manages affordable housing. Volunteers of America, a national organization, is in negotiations to buy the complex.
The township would help pay for a full modernization of the complex.