9-Unit Apartment Building in Augusta Maine Being Shut Down by Code Enforcement

AUGUSTA, Maine - Oct. 1, 2013 - PRLog -- Augusta, Maine (October 1, 2013) – Tenants of 3 Jefferson Street, Augusta Maine will need to find other housing arrangements beginning at 9am on Wednesday, October 2, 2013 as a result of the building being shut down by City of Augusta Code Enforcement due to the existence of twelve conditions which violate basic life safety codes including the building being used as a rooming house in violation of local ordinances and safety standards.

The building owner, Ray Corporation, owned and managed by Matt Ray and Rob Ray of Lewiston Maine, could not be reached for comment.

Ray Corporation was made aware of twelve (12) conditions which violate life safety codes on May 1, 2013 after a building-wide inspection was conducted by Robert Overton of the City of Augusta Code Enforcement after receiving a report from a City of Augusta Law Enforcement Officer that he suspected the building was being used as a rooming house after the law enforcement officer responded to a call at the property and became concerned about the over-occupancy and safety of the tenants in the building.

Robert Overton conducted a full building inspection of 3 Jefferson Street on April 17, 2013 and confirmed the building is in violation of a number of basic life safety codes and issued a repair notice on May 1, 2013 requiring all unsafe conditions to be repaired within 90 days.

Ray Corporation has failed to respond to communications from Code Enforcement for the past two weeks and has failed to make any repairs on 3 Jefferson Street as required.

As a result of the building not being brought into compliance within 120 days of Ray Corporation accepting notice of those code violations, City of Augusta Code Enforcement is now forced to shut the building down as unsafe and relocate the building's tenants to other available housing or hotel rooms if necessary.

Stay tuned for updates...

For more information, contact MAINE TENANTS JUSTICE LEAGUE at 207-358-8887 or help@mainetenants.org