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White Lakes Plaza management changes, repairs follow default judgment; fines suspended pending compliance
Summary
Staff reported the management company that recently took over White Lakes Plaza has begun addressing longstanding fire‑code violations after a municipal default judgment; prosecutors said fines are suspended while repairs continue.
City staff reported progress at White Lakes Plaza, a multifamily complex long flagged for fire‑ and property‑maintenance violations, after a new management company took over days before a municipal sentencing hearing.
Staff said inspectors cited dozens of fire‑code violations during a February joint inspection with the fire department; prosecution filed cases and received default judgment when the prior owners did not engage with the court. The default judgment estimated fines at about $42,000, but staff reported the fines are suspended while the new management works through a building‑by‑building remediation plan.
Nicole Stovall, a city staff member who compiled a two‑page case summary for the property, said joint inspections and interior door postings in February prompted renewed tenant calls and faster responses. "We went with fire to go and do those inspections. And you can almost see immediately afterwards, we got calls for specific, actual apartment complexes then for interior and follow‑up ones," Stovall said.
According to the report, fire inspectors cited 42 fire‑code violations at White Lakes during the joint visit; prosecution later obtained a default judgment because the prior owners were noncommunicative. Staff said the day before sentencing the management company engaged the prosecutor, assumed control of operations, and immediately began addressing the code violations.
Prosecution staff said the new management has been cooperative. Staff also told the committee that collection of the default judgment remains suspended while the new manager pursues repairs; the municipal prosecutor or court will determine whether the suspended fine is later collected.
Committee members asked staff to track the remediation schedule, to report whether the $42,000 judgment remains suspended or is collected, and to provide clarity on where responsibility lies while ownership or management is in receivership. Staff said they will follow up with the prosecutor and provide more detailed timelines at a future meeting.
No formal enforcement motion was taken at the meeting; staff said the case remains in municipal court while inspectors continue to monitor progress.
