ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – A startling sign hangs on the doors of 30 units at The Morgan Apartments in South St. Pete. It’s a warning from the fire marshal that the units aren’t safe to live in.
What we know:
“That was a fire scare, which is actually life and death,” resident Mackenzie Nichols said.
READ: Deadline extended for Historic Gas Plant District proposals
Monday, St. Petersburg Fire Rescue said the units affected had to be vacated within seven days.
Officials wrote there is “an imminent threat to the life and safety of residents” because some of the buildings’ fire alarms don’t work, and the property stopped paying a fire watch company.
Fire watch companies are there to keep an eye out for emergencies when fire protection systems go down.
MORE: Holiday cheer arrives early in downtown St. Pete at pop-up bar
What they’re saying:
“I think it was just the top floor that got it, which worries me a little bit because, I mean, I’m glad I didn’t have to vacate, but as far as a safety issue, the top floor, if something was to happen on the top floor, I am all the way on the bottom. My detectors aren’t going to detect it until it’s already there, present in my apartment,” Nichols said.
Nichols lives in one of the five buildings affected. She said she heard about the issue from another resident, not management.
“If they are vacating, then pay for a hotel. Put them in a different unit until it’s fixed,” she said.
The backstory:
City officials say the issue isn’t new. It has just gotten worse. St. Pete Fire Rescue’s reports show they found five buildings without working fire alarms in July.
READ: Tampa, St. Pete leaders approve financial support for ‘Tampa Bay Ferry’
They told management to fix them, and to hire a fire watch company. Follow-ups show The Morgan hired the company Redline, but didn’t fix the alarm system.
The report also says Redline threatened to discontinue service several times because The Morgan missed payments.
The complex would pay before Redline left, until this time. Redline discontinued service Monday, prompting the fire marshal’s urgent notice to residents. Wednesday morning, city officials said property owners paid Redline, meaning residents don’t have to leave.
FOX 13 saw Redline on the property Wednesday afternoon.
What’s next:
An order St. Petersburg Fire Rescue issued Wednesday says The Morgan has 30 days to get permits to fix the fire alarm system, and it must keep a full-time fire watch company at the complex in the meantime. If either of these requirements aren’t met, the units affected will have to vacate.
MORE: St. Pete Beach mayor proposes tolls for tourists to fund $200 million in repairs
City officials say 30 units are unsafe for occupancy and 14 of them are occupied by tenants. The others aren’t. A city spokesperson said the city has made contact with impacted residents and is working to connect them to available resources.
“The City’s greatest priority at this time is ensuring the life and safety of impacted residents,” the spokesperson said.
Dig deeper:
“There have already been water scares,” Nichols said.
In August, the city sent notices to tenants at The Morgan and Elements on Third, both owned by Lurin Real Estate Holdings, a Dallas-based company. The city said the company failed to pay overdue utility bills despite months of warnings and attempts to resolve the debt, and the complexes were at risk of getting the water turned off.
Lurin paid the bill at Elements, but has an outstanding utility balance of about $400,000 for The Morgan, city officials say.
“We are working with their surety bond company to secure at least partial payment,” a city spokesperson said in a statement. “At this time, water services have not been impacted at the property. It should be noted that the City will provide residents with notice prior to ceasing any City services.”
READ: St. Pete Beach mayor proposes tolls for tourists to fund $200 million in repairs
The other side:
FOX 13 asked a spokesperson for The Morgan about both issues, asking about the safety issues and the timeframe for solutions to fixing the alarm system and paying the bill.
The property spokesperson sent the following statement.
“We’re pleased to have resolved the Fire Marshal’s immediate concerns and that the order to vacate is no longer in effect. We plan to move forward soon to make permanent repairs to the fire alarm system serving the impacted buildings. The litigation over the city’s water bills is moving toward a resolution.”
The Source: This story was written with information provided by the City of St. Pete, residents at The Morgan and a spokesperson for the property.