Tim and Troy Green’s Skyline Apartments have been issued pages of code violations in the last two and half years and now face threat of legal action and claims from the city of Syracuse that the property is unfit for its residents to continue living there.
The City of Syracuse tells Spectrum News there will be a hearing with Green Skyline representatives on May 10 at City Hall.
A recent homicide of a 93-year-old woman in her Green Skyline apartment spurred calls for action by the city on a property with a long track record of code violations and hundreds of police calls for criminal activity.
In documents provided by the city to Spectrum News, there have been more than 300 incidents and follow-ups filed by the Syracuse Codes Department. Many stem from complaint inspections.
The complaints range from bad lighting, bed bugs, trash, water issues, ceilings caving in, and more.
Syracuse Police recently released details of more than 520 criminal calls made to the property in just the past six months. Spectrum News has requested and is waiting on a full report of criminal calls in the last two years for the 13-story high rise on James Street.
The property is currently for sale for $16.5 million.
According a letter sent to Green Skyline Apartments this week, the property was determined unfit for human habitation and occupancy within the meaning of the Syracuse Property Conservation code and New York State Property Maintenance code. The Greens were ordered to schedule an inspection with Syracuse codes officials to show corrections to the property. They have a right to hearing as well, but the outstanding violations listed are order to be corrected and inspected by Friday. The notice adds failure to timely correct the violations may result in an order directing all occupants to vacate the property.
Fines are added to the property taxes for each code incident as well. This could mean hundreds of thousands in fines against the company if it was fined for each incident from 2019 to now.
Green Skyline must also cooperate with the Syracuse Police Department to reduce and deter criminal activity. Actions include restricting visitors from the building; installing and monitoring security cameras and alarms; hiring security guards; and reviewing reports for activity by tenants to determine if they should begin eviction proceedings.
City officials and police will hold a hearing May 10 to review the criminal activity abatement order, which Green Skyline has 30 days to comply with, according to a letter sent to Green Skyline.