Fresno Sues Apartment Manager Over Code Violations

(AP) - In an unprecedented action for the city, Fresno is suing an apartment landlord in hopes of forcing repairs at the property.

The Fresno Bee reports that the case, filed Thursday in Fresno County Superior Court, says the owner of a 15-unit apartment complex has not fixed housing issues that code enforcement officers found during an inspection two months ago despite being fined twice for the delays. This is the first time the city has sued a residential property owner for substandard conditions.

The property owner on Friday said he has fixed the issues, though city officials say if that's true he did so without permits.

The lawsuit asks the court to either force the landlord to fix the issues within 60 days or allow the city to fix the issue and have the owner pay for the repairs.