MEMPHIS, Tenn. — An attorney for the owners of the Garden View Apartments appeared in Shelby County court for the first time Tuesday during the fourth hearing in the case.
Attorney Josh Kahane said he has represented the owners, Garden View LLC, for several months.
“This is the first time I’ve been asked to come to court and represent them,” Kahane said.
Code enforcement and environmental court are monitoring issues highlighted in this WREG Problem Solvers investigation, launched after the owners didn’t pay their utility bill and got power cut to the entire complex.
“I got breathing machines in there. I can’t hook them up and use it,” Gloria Cochran said.
The issues include a porch at risk of collapsing and a leak near an electricity box.
“We are going to make sure we get all these issues expeditiously resolved,” Kahane said in court.
He didn’t explain why they didn’t fix the issues before the Problem Solvers started investigating.
“It’s unfortunate tenants felt they weren’t getting the type of responsiveness they needed but they will now,” he said.
At a hearing last week, code enforcement reported seeing signs of improvement at Garden View. Managers also sent video to WREG showing updates made at Sunrise Villas, another Whitehaven complex owned by the same two men from Brooklyn, New York.
“They’re committed to making sure this is a dignified place for tenants to live,” Kahane said of owners Shimon Weinberger and Matty Wercberger.
The Garden View complex is due back in court again next Wednesday.
► If you have a problem you need solved with the help of WREG’s Problem Solvers, email Stacy at stacy.jacobson@wreg.com.
