The Allegheny County District Attorney's Office filed criminal charges Wednesday against three companies that own and operate the Leland Point housing complex in Baldwin Borough.
Leland Point Acquisitions LLC, Leland Point Holdings LLC and Karam Managed Properties LLC created a public nuisance by "failing to make repairs to plumbing, sewage and electrical systems and provide for garbage removal," prosecutors say.
The companies also "failed to maintain safe common areas with adequate lighting, provide adequate heating and ventilation and supply functioning fire alarm systems, creating a dangerous environment for its resident tenants," according to the affidavit filed with the criminal charges.
A Karam Managed Properties spokeswoman who would only identify herself as "Jill" said the company had no comment.
The county plans to seek a restraining order today that would permit the sheriff's office to hold onto tenants' rent money until these issues are resolved, prosecutors say. The 1,076-unit building generates an estimated $500,000 to $700,000 in rent monthly, and its estimated 2,000 residents make up about a tenth of Baldwin's population.
District Attorney Stephen A. Zappala Jr. said Friday that the county's filing would allow the money to go to a trust fund to pay for repairs.
The facility also generated 190 criminal complaints and 84 health complaints in less than a year, Zappala said.
