Just hours after dozens of families were told they had days to move out over fire safety violations, city officials say residents can stay — at least for now.
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Just hours after dozens of families at The Morgan Apartments in South St. Petersburg were told they had days to move out over fire safety violations, city officials say residents can stay — at least for now.
The city’s fire inspectors had declared five buildings at the complex unsafe, citing months of failed inspections and inoperable fire alarms dating back to July. Initially, tenants were told they’d have to vacate by Sunday because the lack of working alarms and an active “fire watch” company posed an “imminent threat to life safety.”
But after the property owner, Lurin Real Estate Holdings, made back payments to the fire watch company and requested that the vacate order be lifted, city officials agreed to let residents stay under strict conditions.
In a statement, Lurin Spokesman Ed Cafasso said, “Payments are up to date for the third-party fire watch company that patrols five buildings on the property. As a result, we have asked the Fire Marshal to lift the order. We appreciate the patience residents have shown as we work to keep the community compliant with fire regulations.”
In response, the city released a statement saying it would rescind the vacate order, for now.
“The new order will not require residents to vacate within the next seven days. However, it will require property ownership to maintain a full-time Fire Watch and obtain permits for repair of the Fire Alarm system within 30-days. If either of these requirements are not met, the subject units will have to be vacated. Please note, Fire Watch is not a long-term solution for inoperable life safety systems, it is a temporary measure to enable repairs when needed. The buildings’ ownership must initiate and complete repairs to maintain occupancy.”
For tenants, the back-and-forth has been exhausting.
“I was mad last night when I found out,” tenant Mackenzie Nichols said. “Seven days to move out when they’ve known about the fire issue for a long time.”
Another resident, Richie Martin, said the uncertainty has become routine.
“It’s just been one thing after another for the last two years now,” he said. “What was the point of having fire marshals come out and make sure our detectors are working if the system isn’t functioning anyway?”
Chris Jackson, who’s lived at The Morgan for several years, said it’s been nerve-racking.
“I had to wake up to hear that we may possibly be getting evicted,” Jackson said. “It’s stressful.”
Even with the city’s latest decision, some residents say they’re still uneasy.
“I’m glad we are going to get to stay,” Nichols said. “But I might not feel safe in these buildings.”
City officials say the situation was unavoidable after learning that the fire watch company monitoring the property stopped work because of nonpayment.
In a statement, a Lurin spokesperson said payments are now current, the fire watch company is back on site, and the firm has asked the fire marshal to officially lift the vacate order.
The city of St. Petersburg confirmed the order has been paused but stressed the need for compliance:
“Occupancy of these units presents an imminent threat to life safety due to a lack of active fire alarms and fire watch,” the city said. “Our greatest priority is ensuring the safety of residents.”
The complex has faced similar turmoil before. Earlier this year, tenants protested outside City Hall after the city nearly shut off their water service over nearly $400,000 in unpaid utility bills. The city says that balance remains outstanding, though Lurin claims that litigation over the matter is “moving toward resolution.”
For now, tenants can stay put, but if repairs aren’t made soon, they could once again be searching for a new place to live.