Wilmington says landlord must repair 27 'uninhabitable' apartment buildings or pay hefty fine
"There is mold, there are leaks, there are all kinds of things," said Jeff Starkey, commissioner of Wilmington's L&I department.
WILMINGTON, Delaware (WPVI) -- Most of an entire block in Wilmington, Delaware has been deemed uninhabitable after a partial wall collapse led to further inspections of apartment buildings all owned by the same landlord.
The landlord responsible for the buildings, AJ Pokorny, told Action News on Tuesday that the city's decision to condemn his apartment buildings goes way too far.
Pokorny said after the collapse occurred on Sunday night, he had a wall brace installed at the instruction of the local Department of Licenses and Inspections.
"The next morning I thought they were going to come out and say, 'You did the right thing, OK.' And oh, geez, there are five L&I cars. Like five people died or something," he said.
Jeff Starkey, the commissioner of Wilmington's L&I department, said there is a good reason for the decision.
After assessing the initial structure's shabby condition, inspectors took it upon themselves to check out the rest of Pokorny's buildings.
Starkey says what they found was alarming.
"There is mold, there are leaks, there are all kinds of things. Deterioration, bowing walls in the back in different areas," Starkey said.
Action News has now obtained the notice sent by Wilmington's L&I department to Pokorny.
It details hundreds of violations at his apartments, and indicates the owner has 30 days to make repairs or he will be fined $250 for each violation.
Displace residents are now being offered shelter by the city.
