Indianapolis holds off on Lakeside Pointe lawsuit as property sale nears

Ko Lyn Cheang, Indianapolis Star
·2 min read

The long-suffering residents at the beleaguered Nora apartment complex, Lakeside Pointe will have to wait some more before they receive relief.

The Indianapolis mayor's office announced last week that it plans to sue the owners of the property for persistent dangerous conditions, but on Tuesday said that it will delay the lawsuit due to a pending change in ownership.

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In last Tuesday's warning to the Lakeside Pointe owner, Fox Lake AHF, the city and the Marion County Health and Hospital Corporation gave them an ultimatum: Fix the dangerous conditions at the property by Jan. 31 or be sued under state nuisance law. But, the warning carved out an exception: the deadline would not apply if the property found new owners before then.

The Indianapolis mayor's office announced Tuesday that it received written confirmation that Fox Lake AHF is finalizing the terms of a sale.

It's unclear who the prospective buyer is.

Since 2017, Lakeside Pointe has incurred more than 600 housing code violations from the Marion County Health Department, ranging from lack of hot water, air conditioning and heat to water and sewage leaks to structural problems.

And in two weeks in January alone, the complex accumulated 12 emergency filings from the health department — conditions that require immediate attention.

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One family was forced to sleep in their car after the ceiling of their apartment collapsed, flooding their home with a deluge of water and debris.

Another found out that the brown liquid dripping into the bathtub where she bathed her infant was sewage.

The mayor's office spokesperson, Mark Bode, said on Tuesday that the city and the health department hope to work with the new owners to clean up the property without the need of a lawsuit. But, he indicated, it remains a tool the city can use.

If a sale agreement is not reached before the end of February, Bode said the city will file a nuisance suit.

Contact IndyStar reporter Ko Lyn Cheang at kcheang@indystar.com or 317-903-7071. Follow her on Twitter: @kolyn_cheang.

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Mayor Joe Hogsett address Indianapolis Lakeside Pointe apartments