The attorney general’s office has sued the problem-plagued Big Country Chateau apartments on Col. Glenn just west of University Avenue for knowingly renting apartments that violate the city housing code.

The suit recounts the owner’s failure to pay utility bills, which are included in rent. This threatened water and electric services. The water bill alone was almost a quarter-million dollars in arrears. The complex is owned by an out-of-state owner of rental properties, Apex Equity Group.

Advertisement

Tenants have been complaining for weeks about conditions at the 150-unit complex.

The suit seeks restitution, civil penalties and an injunction against unlawful practices.

Advertisement

The suit details findings by city inspectors;

This inspection revealed uninhabitable living conditions in the apartment complex. Outside the buildings, trash, animal feces, and debris were found scattered throughout the lawn and around the pool; doors were missing, with empty doorways boarded up; windows were shattered; electrical boxes were open, with wires tangled and exposed; and the fire extinguisher hooks were all empty.

The inside of the apartment units revealed more appalling conditions. For example, law enforcement officials entered Units 163 and 176 to find mold and mildew throughout the apartments. Unit 163 had a hole in the closet that the tenant said leaked when it rained and warped carpet that created a tripping hazard. The tenant in Unit 176 stated that the unit had not had smoke detectors since she moved in. Several tenants have not had air conditioning for days and even weeks, despite the heatwave of temperatures over one hundred degrees Fahrenheit for multiple days on end.

Ms. Felicia Peterson, a tenant who has lived at the apartment complex for several years, said that the unit she rents was half-finished when she moved in and has not been completed since. The unit’s stove has not been adequately installed, resulting in a gas leak, and the apartment has cockroaches.

The Code Enforcement Inspection found 337 life safety violations and 975 other violations in the apartment complex. Furthermore, Planning and Development found that some units had electrical issues that included “improper electrical receptacles,” and “loose or missing conduit connectors,” as well as missing or nonfunctioning smoke and carbon monoxide detectors

Here’s the lawsuit. It alleges, among others, a violation of the state law requiring habitable premises and says that renting units that don’t meet that standard amounts to a deceptive trade practice.

Advertisement

50 years of fearless reporting and still going strong

Be a part of something bigger and join the fight for truth by subscribing or donating to the Arkansas Times. For 50 years, our progressive, alternative newspaper in Little Rock has been tackling powerful forces through our tough, determined, and feisty journalism. With over 63,000 Facebook followers, 58,000 Twitter followers, 35,000 Arkansas blog followers, and 70,000 email subscribers, it's clear that our readers value our commitment to great journalism. But we need your help to do even more. By subscribing or donating – as little as $1 –, you'll not only have access to all of our articles, but you'll also be supporting our efforts to hire more writers and expand our coverage. Take a stand with the Arkansas Times and make a difference with your subscription or donation today.

Previous article The Black Crowes at First Security Ampitheater Tuesday night Next article Trout Fishing in America heads to historic Cash home Saturday