City orders neglected apartments vacated

Denise Cardinal

Friday, Jan. 9, 1998 | 10:08 a.m.

Graciela Trevino just wants her apartment to have heat, running water, air conditioning and no "cucarachas."

She doesn't care about building codes or City Council meetings.

But soon, the three-year resident of Aladdin Villas apartments might be forced to move because of both. Her complex was recently served with an order from the City of Las Vegas demanding that the apartments be vacated.

Exposed wires, faulty gas lines, unsound stairwells, leaky roofs and dilapidated landings were all cited as reasons for serving the order on Aladdin Villas.

"There is the potential for explosion," said Paul Wilkins, deputy director of the city's planning and development department. "With the electrical problems, there are chances of electrocution."

Though it took residents by surprise, the owners of the property have known about the possibility of a vacation notice for months, Wilkins said. His office has been working with the city's neighborhood services division in trying to get the place cleaned up.

"We gave them months to fix these things," Wilkins said. "They haven't done any of these things. These folks have been in on three appeals for the last four or five weeks with me. Nothing substantial has been done, and as a building inspector, if I know there's something wrong, I can't keep the place open. The city of Las Vegas didn't issue the order to vacate, the owners did."

Mick and Brian Mallas, owners of the complex, could not be reached for comment. Neither could their attorney, Terrance Shannon, the only local contact that's worked with Wilkins and the city's planning department.

Wilkins said Wednesday -- the day the order was issued -- Shannon showed up at the development office with two contractors. The three said they were going to be fixing the problems with the apartments.

But on Thursday, no changes had been made and residents said they didn't see anyone working all day.

"No one's been here," Trevino said.

She pays $485 a month for her tidy two-bedroom apartment which is nicely decorated. But it also has broken tiles in the bathroom and plastic bags over the air conditioning units to keep out the dust and leaking water.

"They don't work anyway," Trevino's daughter, Maria Hernandez, said.

It took months of calling the manager before the leak in their hallway ceiling was fixed. And there's always cockroaches, Hernandez said, lots of them.

Her upstairs neighbors, Rosa Gonzalez and Carlos Palacios, said they also have problems with too many cockroaches. And though their heater works, their air conditioner is also on the fritz.

"It's no good," Gonzalez said.

Their rent, though not expensive, is not the cheapest in Las Vegas, or even in their neighborhood. But the residents like the location and don't want to leave their home.

Though the order says they have five days before they must leave, the owner of the complex can appeal the order to the City Council at Monday's meeting. If that happens, the residents can stay until the council decides whether to close down the apartments, and when they have to leave.

Wilkins said he hasn't heard the official word on whether the owners will appeal, though he assumes they will. City Councilman Michael McDonald, who represents the ward, declined comment pending the decision of the owners to appeal.