Code enforcement prepares for new sweep of Bradenton Village Apartments

BRADENTON -- Up against the Bradenton code enforcement office wall, there are metal file cabinets with a stack of manila folders almost a foot high. Inside those folders are about 160 individual code violations cited in 2009 at the Bradenton Village Apartments.

At least 120 of those violations remain unresolved, as reviewed after the Bradenton Herald filed an open records request. They are part of a code enforcement board review process that "just kind of went away" in 2011, said Planning and Community Development Director Tim Polk. That's when the city struck a deal with Roush Field Ltd., manager of the public-private housing complex at First Street and 13th Street West, to bring the violations into compliance.

And more complaints have been filed in the past four years, records show.

Now, more than five years after the initial inspection, code enforcement is preparing to once again assess conditions at the complex.

Complaints about the complex's living conditions have also remained steady to the Bradenton Housing Authority, but the agency is unable to help their residents because maintenance is the responsibility of the complex's management company.

It will take two code enforcement officers an entire week to reinspect code violations levied against that management firm, Roush Field Ltd., when a new sweep of the complex begins within weeks, Bradenton Community Services and Code Compliance Manager Volker Reiss said.

The length of time necessary to complete the work is due to the sheer volume of the violations needed to be reinspected, the majority of which are mold- and mildew-related.

In January 2011, the city entered into an agreement with attorneys representing Roush that outlined a four-year plan to bring the viola

tions into compliance.

Reiss said the city agreed to the plan because of the large number of complaints that remained unresolved. Since then, the cases have remained open.

"They weren't found to be in violation, but they aren't closed," said Reiss. "The plan ended at the end of 2014 and we are preparing to go back and reinspect in the next few weeks."

The city has the power to ensure Roush maintains the complex. But, like the BHA, the city cannot address how the residents are treated. Reiss said it's standard policy when complaints come in that the residents are first asked if they contacted their management company.

"The management company is the first line of defense," said Reiss. "We are a last resort. Most of the violations are exterior and we've had very few inside complaints, which is very unusual for a complex that has had ongoing maintenance issues."

Reiss said he does hear from residents who claim to be afraid of management and back away from filing a complaint when told they had to go through the manager first.

Residents contacted the Herald after Sunday's story about the code violations and living conditions, but they asked to remain anonymous because of management bullying.

One former resident, Destiny Underwood, said she was "forced out" after living in the complex for six months. She said she was never late on her rent except for one time after she fell ill.

"I called the property manager ahead of time that I was going to be a few days late and was told it was fine," said Underwood. "I had an agency helping me out and they tried to pay my rent and was told no, they couldn't pay for me. I was evicted right after that."

Underwood said she rented her apartment without doing a walk through and when she moved in found the apartment a mess.

"It wasn't even cleaned," she said. "I had to get my own smoke detectors and put up closet doors. There is a lot of favoritism there. If management likes you, you are fine. If they don't, you will eventually get evicted for something."

The property manager, Sherre White-Townsend, has denied the claims being levied against her; Roush's parent company, Telesis Corp in Washington, D.C., has refused comment.

Reiss is encouraging Bradenton Village residents to contact his office at 941-932-9401 if they are having issues not being addressed.

Mark Young, Herald urban affairs reporter, can be reached at 941-745-7041 or follow him on Twitter @urbanmark2014.

This story was originally published January 29, 2015 at 12:00 AM with the headline "Code enforcement prepares for new sweep of Bradenton Village Apartments ."