Vernon tackles Legends violations

VERNON — Vernon Township is putting Legends apartment owners' feet to the flames for fire code and other violations, Mayor Harry Shortway said Monday night.
According to Shortway, Vernon Township Zoning Officer Allison Larocca visited the hotel complex on Monday and began issuing summonses to unit owners for violations. Shortway said Larocca also documented living conditions in the building in a series of photographs that were subsequently presented to the Township Council.
Water damage, mold and exposed wires were among the issues plainly visible in the corridors of the seventh and eighth floors of the building, he said.
Shortway said the township and state fire marshals are expected to conduct inspections of the property in the near future to check for violations of the fire code.
The move to penalize Legends unit owners for unsuitable and illegal living conditions marks the culmination of many months of warnings and discussion about the presence of permanent renters on the property in the municipal chambers.
In July, Shortway said the township's zoning codes were never updated to allow permanent renters in Legends units. Though he acknowledged the township had previously “tolerated” the violations, Shortway warned summonses were imminent for owners who allowed renters to remain.
As of Monday, Shortway said township officials had determined there were at least 42 occupants still in the Legends building, including children. In addition to the violations observed by Larocca, Shortway said tenants in the building reported they have not had heat since March and have not had hot water for several days.
“I have warned, I've asked since February about the problems at Legends and the management has promised (to fix the issues), but no activity is being done,” Shortway said. “What makes it such a sensitive matter is we do have a number of children in the building. These are the conditions that they are living in.”
Shortway said the Township isn't planning to evict any of the residents because the Township would then be responsible for finding housing for the displaced residents. Instead, Shortway said an ordinance introduced by the council on Monday would make a landlord who is housing a tenant illegally responsible for providing alternative housing for the resident for up to six months.
A second reading of that measure – Ordinance 16-24 – will be held on Nov. 14.