Jackson's biggest eyesore may soon come down. Jackson Municipal Court Judge Jeffrey Reynolds ordered the city to demolish the Hotel O on I-55N Frontage Road on June 13.
Dereliction and destruction describe the Hotel O. The building has suffered multiple fires in the last year. It has been home to shootings, numerous drug deals, prostitution, and other crime. The city first took action against the hotel in 2022 for code violations. Judge Reynolds inspected the site and determine it had unsafe electrical wiring, defective plumbing, pervasive mold, structural weaknesses, and a roof in a serious state of disrepair. The building has an empty pool not secured by a fence. The judge also noted it became a haven for the residentially-challenged and criminals.
The Court issued several orders to owner Noah Muthana but he ignored them all. Judge Reynolds finally issued a warrant for his arrest but he has managed to avoid capture. Fast forward to the current day and the Hotel O stands in defiance of all decency and morals.
The Court decreed:
Substantial evidence shows that the Hotel O continues to be occupied by vagrants and prostitutes, and is a breeding ground for illegal drug activity. Despite the extreme dangers present at the hotel, a small child has been seen playing with his toy there. Noah Muthana has been provided with multiple opportunities to either bring the Hotel O into compliance with all City Ordinances or demolish the hotel. The Defendant has refused to comply with the Court’s Orders, despite multiple opportunities. Consequently, on January 8, 2024, this court issued a warrant for Defendant Muthana’s arrest for him to serve eighty-eight (88) days in the Hinds County Jail. Mr. Muthana has remained since then a fugitive at law.
Given these facts and the fact that this structure remains a clear and present danger within the City of Jackson, this Court has no option other than to order the City of Jackson to demolish the Hotel O. All funds expended by the City towards demolishing the Hotel O will become a lien against the real property. The City is hereby authorized to file a lien against the property in the Hinds County Chancery Clerk’s Office.
The city attorney must inform the Court within 30 days of the city's financial ability to comply with the order.
Synopsis of the Case
Muthana has owned Hotel O for more than two years. Jackson Code Enforcement cited Muthana for six code violations in June 2022. Jackson Municipal Court Judge Jeff Reynolds condemned the hotel after finding it had unsafe electrical wiring, defective plumbing, pervasive mold, structural weaknesses, and the roof was in a serious state of disrepair. Residency-challenged individuals occupied the building even though there was no power. However, one should never underestimate human ingenuity, even among such people. The squatters simply ran extension cords to outlets on adjacent properties. Judge Reynolds threw Muthana in jail after determining he made no effort to improve the property. He said the property was in worse shape than when the city began investigating the property in November 2021. The defendant sat in jail for a few days before Judge Reynolds released him. Judge Reynolds ordered JPD to evict all "tenants" from the premises. The judge told Code Enforcement to ensure a secure fence surrounded the pool. Judge Reyonlds ordered Muthana to post a $275,000 secured appearance bond and $2,500 cost bond if he wanted to appeal the order. Muthana appealed to Hinds County Court, arguing the appearance bond was unconstitutional. He paid the $2,500 cost bond.Judge McDaniels never got around to questioning the demolition order because he dismissed Muthana's appeal on August 31, ruling the defendant appealed the case four months after the thirty-day deadline expired in April. However, Muthana did not take his ass-whupping like a man but instead filed a notice of appeal on September 11. The notice states the defendant will appeal the decision to Hinds County Circuit Court. The city filed a motion to dismiss (see, it knows how to do it after all!) on December 1. The motion argues the Court should dismiss any Muthana appeal since he did not post the $275,000 appearance bond nor did he file his notice of appeal within thirty days of the lower court's decision.Earlier post. As Muthana drags out the court fight, the building crumbles. A fire took place several months ago. Rooms are burned out and plywood covers numerous windows. The building has been the scene of numerous crimes over the years, including shootings and aggravated assaults. Judge Reynolds scheduled a hearing on January 10, 2024 after Judge McDaniels remanded the case back to his court. His interim order makes clear his disgust with the hotel and its owner: In the meantime, while the Defendant games the legal system with meritless appeals, his dangerous eyesore of a Hotel continues to exist and be occupied. The undersigned passes by the shuttered Hotel nearly every day and sees it bustling with people, with multiple cars in the parking lot. A small child was seen recently playing with his toy at the Hotel. And, despite the Fire Marshall shutting the Hotel down as a fire hazard and part of the Hotel, in fact, burning a few months ago, people still live in the Hotel.
Undersigned also strongly believes, based on the testimony in this case, his observations, and experience as a Municipal Judge, that other illegal activity, like prostitution and illegal drug use/sales, is taking place at the Hotel on a daily basis.
This dangerous public nuisance must end.
However, neither Muthana nor his lawyers, Carlos Tanner or John Hall, appeared in court that day. A frustrated Court issued an arrest warrant for Muthana. Muthana has not yet been taken into custody. Although Muthana filed a notice of appeal, he never actually filed an appeal in Circuit Court.
The Hinds County grand jury indicted Ibrahim Khoder for perjury. Khoder sued to sept the code enforcement action in Hinds County Chancery Court. He claimed in his pleadings he was the owner of the hotel while simultaneously telling the Jackson Municipal Court he did not own the hotel.
35 comments:
F'ing amazing. Reynolds commands taxpayers to pay for demo and cleanup so another private entity can purchase the site for pennies on the dollar. No doubt Lumumba the financial whiz has an undisclosed financial interest.
Who thinks that is Jackson’s biggest eyesore? Just ride through Jackson (in an armored vehicle, if possible) and you will see hundreds of sites equal to or trashier than this place. P.S. ,why bother putting out the fires at places like this. Just protect adjoining properties.
Glad the judge is doing this. It needs to come down and be cleared. This has been going on too long. Hopefully they will do as good of a job as the crew did on the glass building off I55.
@11:11AM: Did you read the part of the order that read "All funds expended by the City towards demolishing the Hotel O will become a lien against the real property. The City is hereby authorized to file a lien against the property in the Hinds County Chancery Clerk’s Office."
What would you propose be done instead?
Would us Northsiders have lost our glorious Waffle House had the system moved quicker to demolish this nuisance attractant?
@11:31 LMAO. Yup, you are right. CofJ is an administrative juggernaut highly skilled at collecting monies due.
Unfortunately, state law limits the maximum amount of the lien that can be impressed upon real property where the political subdivision is forced to effect the remediation. I doubt a contractor can mobilize to this location for the amount that state law will allow as the lien max.
the still open ''O'' motel butts right up to the ''oyo'' motel.
they are literally connected. not sure how they gonna manage to sever the two businesses in order to demolish the ''o''motel. its a totally chaotic situation as only middle easterners can create.
there is not even an ally way in between the 2 motels.
when the demolition starts id like to be there and watch the middle eastern owners of the ''o'' motel screaming about how the demolition crew is destroying their building as well.
that will be worth the price of admission.
Maybe the fake city of Lefleur East can pay for it.
WAPT reported last night that there are more than 2,000 abandoned buildings in Jackson. However, it's just a perception of blight. Right?
As a Jackson taxpayer, I can think of nothing I’d rather have my money go toward . . . Not even pot-hole repair or running water.
This will be paid for the 10% or so of Jackson residents who pay taxes.
Just like Jackson Public Schools
Where are Chowke's dope boys going to reside if it's torn down?
Once this blight is gone maybe we can get a Buccees
That's one of the nicer Jackson fixer-uppers.
They should put a very large & visible JPD precinct there.
I thought the biggest eyesore was in the Mayors office.
Seems like a controlled burn of the place would save lots of $$. Just have JFD on site if something gets out of hand during the burn. A burned pile of rubble sure would be a lot cheaper to haul off as opposed to having to demo the whole building. I guess that would just make too much common sense.
Let it completely burn down.
11:49 - Dissecting two structures that share a common firewall isn't a major feat. It ain't no big fuckin' deal.
@11:53 say what you want about Lefleur East but they make a huge difference on their side of 55. The City can find the funds to tear this hellhole down. Continue to go after the property owner, but you can't squeeze blood from a turnip and I consider this a much better use of taxpayer funds than some of the BS it's going towards currently.
If only Jackson had historically elected competent leaders based on merit and not skin tone.
Leaders who would (at a bare minimum) not have pushed Jackson harder into the death spiral for the last 10-20 years.
What a wonderful option that would have been. Ah well. Here we are with Hotel O.
And since liberal voters typically make themselves loudly known when they disagree with leadership choices, it seems fair to assume their tacit silence is an endorsement of the mayor.
@1:23, it’s a building on a major highway and with lots of neighbors (in addition to the obvious risk of a fire spreading, some people have asthma and what you’re suggesting can present environmental and legal concerns). It’s not a pile of leaves in your yard in Puckett where the nearest neighbor is half a mile down the road.
I can’t believe the stuff that has to be explained on here.
I55 N is starting to look like I20 around Ellis
Richard’s is licking at the chops for those disposal fees…
1:23
There would still be bulldozer & dump truck demo after it burned, plus cost to contain fire to only this building. So no savings.
"General Secretary Chowke, tear down this motel."
3:24 - you got it wrong. Richards will get nothing out of this demolition, unless the company that does the demolition hires them to haul the debris to Waste Management for disposal at their landfill, or to the City of Jackson's debris landfill off Savanah Street.
Richards is not in the disposal business; only the collection side. Yes, its strange because nobody really wants the collection - most do it only for the tipping fees and landfill disposal. Just another strange bit of odor from the Richards' contract that makes it seem strange that a company would fight that hard just to do the collection.
11:45 AM - So what is the limit for a municipal remediation lien? It is ultimately a beautification project, which will definitely help that area. Jackson HAS to start scraping all lots with burned out abandoned buildings and homes. Doesn't ownership revert to the state when property is abandoned and taxes not paid? If so, this sounds like an easy bill to write for the state and COJ to actually cooperate with each other and remove these ownerless dangerous buildings.
Hopefully, the city will build a much needed homeless shelter at that location. Why not????? I live in a suburb that needs to move some to better housing.
12:47 PM, the coast is getting a Buc-ee's. Might open end of this year.
12:59 pm, that is an excellent idea! ("They should put a very large & visible JPD precinct there.") I remember hearing police might move into the old Batte Furniture building but never heard anything else.
Wait and watch. Socrates Garrett will somehow profit.
How about they just put the bull dozers on a new street every month and demolish everything on the street. Even most of the houses people still live in should be condemned.
Who is actually looking for Muthana? Like really trying to find him? Jackson PD?
Local biz should start a fund and finance demolition
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