The owner of the infamous Hotel O fought back against the Jackson City Council's plans to demolish the eyesore this year.
A highly emotional Ali Muthana berated the City Council at its meeting Tuesday during public comments. Muthana is the father of Hotel O owner Noah Muthana. Jackson Municipal Court Judge Jeff Reynolds condemned the property and ordered the city to demolish the dilapidated building.
Muthana claimed the city denied permits for repairing the vacant hotel but Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba said no one had applied for such permit.
The father of Noah Muthana said he was speaking for his son because Judge Reynolds issued an arrest warrant for Noah.
The City Council was having none of it. Ward 3 Councilman Kenneth I. Stokes chewed out Muthana:
I see you don't wear glasses, I understand you can see what's going on. You're telling me in here today that you didn't see all the homeless in there, all the prostitutes, all of the negative activity that was taking place at your business? And you did absolutely nothing to stop it. You had plenty of time and opportunity to do something, but you didn't care. You didn't care about the citizens in that area that are trying to live," Stokes said. "You didn't care about the businesses in that area that's trying to do something. You have almost destroyed one of the brighter parts of Jackson with this neglect that you or your son, (or) whoever else was involved. But you're going to come in today and tell us that y'all did everything right and everything was good? That's the biggest lie that's ever been told here in City Hall.
Ward 4 Councilman Brian Grizzell can't wait to tear down Hotel O:
I want to be the one to throw the wrecking ball into that building. It's coming down.
Muthana started yelling at the Council but Council President Virgi Lindsey cut him off. Muthana threatened to sue the city.
Kingfish note: WLBT interviewed Muthana.
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.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.
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.
Although Muthana filed a notice of appeal, he never actually filed an appeal in Circuit Court.
19 comments:
Father and son SLUM LORDS.
Stokes was super smooth in his beratement of this guy. This may be the only time I'll ever say this but while watching this video, I felt a sense of pride in my city's administration.
Have no fear though, they're well on their way to the next fuck up so stay tuned.
Go back to Baton Rouge, Mr. Muthana.
It seems to me coming to a city council meeting and begging for forgiveness after a judge has dropped the hammer only gave the city council an opportunity to get on his ass. Also, some of those council members need to ride from Ellis Avenue to the Metrocenter if they want to poke their chest out and declare the COJ wants businesses kept up.
Burp
Which happens first, this burned-out embarrassment is demolished or Chowke the burned-out embarrassment is indicted?
2:56pm
Thanks for reminding KF, our generous benefactor, where the intensity of our interest really is: disposing of that ruinous wastrel, Lil Choke. A dream of mine is to see Wingate's court disposing of all the Mayor's forthcoming motions to escape Justice.
Better yet, go back to the old country.
Where was Ali the last two years?
http://kingfish1935.blogspot.com/2024/02/wanted-alive-hotel-o-owner.html
The hotel doesn’t hurt the image of Jackson. Jackson hurts the image of Jackson.
Jackson is just a big slum. There’s guys didn’t turn Jackson into a slum. Jackson turn Jackson into a slum
Jackson needs the motel for public housing for homeless
"A fire took place several months ago. Rooms are burned out and plywood covers numerous windows."
Let's not forget another fire at Hotel O last week
Is there a difference in Hotel O and OYO hotel? Appears to be the same structure?
It is, however, completely possible that permits were applied for and now no record can be found of such. Happens all the time.
Great job by the city council! We don't need his kind in Jackson! He needs to go back to his country! They come to our city and think they can do whatever they like! We need to run all of his kind out of Jackson!
Muthana seeks equity and inclusion. It's usually there for the taking in the COJ.
NEXT!!!
Amen! Hotel O is not far from where the Broadmoor neighborhood's beautiful little library (elevated well above the ground, and with a pitched roof) was allowed, BY THE CITY, to develop moisture problems which ruined its contents - this, in a structure whose very design was predicated upon Deep South Vernacular traditions which evolved to minimize moisture problems. To rephrase: the roof was steep enough to preclude serious leaks, and the elevated slab was more than sufficient to prevent significant upwellings of moisture. But still... somehow... this nearly-new library was allowed to rot (and to host vagrants - for years).
Like others here, I don't see that Hotel O is any worse than half the town.
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