Fort Worth-area apartment complex could be declared uninhabitable over lack of repairs
The owner of the Dakota Place apartments will have to comply with orders to make all repairs to the roof on one of the buildings in the apartment complex or face the possibility of losing the certificate of occupancy.
The council voted unanimously on the latest order against owner Charles Mercer, who did not attend Tuesday night’s public hearing. The motion also includes levying fines of $1,000 per day for 28 days.
Mercer has until March 24 to repair the roof on building #2. That day the council will hold another public hearing to consider possibly levying more fines and revoking the certificate of occupancy on March 25 for the entire complex. This means the Dakota Place will be considered uninhabitable and no one can live there.
Mayor Henry Wilson said if the repairs aren’t made then the certificate of occupancy could be revoked for the entire complex on March 25.
‘We are really trying to give him the opportunity to do the right thing,” Wilson said. “We are moving slowly, we probably shouldn’t, but we are concerned about the tenants.” .
But tenants are also facing the more immediate problem of losing their heat and hot water after someone anonymously reported a leak in the wall between an apartment and the boiler room.
City Attorney Matthew Boyle said the apartment was “evacuated” and that repairs were made, including installing gas valves without permits or an inspection.
Hurst is giving Mercer until 3:30 p.m. Wednesday to get the gas line repaired with the necessary permits and inspections or the gas will be cut off. Then, the city could also pull the certificate of occupancy for the Dakota Place without a vote from the council.
Mayor Pro Tem Larry Kitchens said the city has been patient with Mercer, hoping that he would do the right thing.
“We are not wanting to remove the residents in that complex, but I think it’s our responsibility to protect the health, safety and welfare of the people in those apartments,” he said.
The Dakota Place, at 450 E. Hurst Blvd., near Bell Helicopter, has over 700 health and safety code violations including leaking roofs, broken plumbing, mold, faulty electrical systems, rodents and insects. The Hurst fire department declared the roofs unsafe and off limits to firefighters.
Hurst fined the owner, Charles Mercer, $1,000 per day for not making the repairs to bring the four buildings in the complex up to code.
City officials have said that Mercer wasn’t complying with requests to fix the roofs and make other repairs, but Mercer previously told the Fort Worth Star-Telegram that he had numerous problems communicating with Hurst officials and that they disagreed on what needed to be done to make the repairs.
Hurst officials also said they don’t want to demolish or shut down the complex, but they were worried about the health and safety of the residents.
This story was originally published February 11, 2020 at 9:53 PM.