Residents of Hot Springs apartment complex say fixes are being ignored
HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – People living at an apartment complex in Hot Springs say they are fed up, claiming maintenance requests have gone silent for months.
Most people know 119 Oak Street as the old Hot Springs High School building. It was turned into apartments in 2005 and people who live there now say it’s far from a happy homecoming.
“I have not ever been to the point where any creak in the hallway makes me think I’m going to get a, pardon my French, (expletive) eviction notice on my door,” Paige Morphew who recently moved out of the building, said.
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From the outside looking in, the space has a thousand stories to tell, but current residents say their story belongs far from the pages of a history book.
Morphew said she moved in back in 2022, and by July of 2023, her home was a place she said she never wanted to be.
In the summer of 2023, the property was turned over to Zach Saxion and his company Saxion Enterprises LLC.
Residents said that’s when their maintenance requests started getting neglected.
They claim air filters weren’t being changed, the apartment wasn’t being sprayed for bugs and leaks were popping up.
“It’s not a place you’re proud of anymore,” resident Jean Dolan said.
Working4You walked through the space, and during that time, saw windows and doors that were broken, leaving the space open to strangers.
A video captured by one of the residents shows a homeless person roaming the halls. Residents claim she was there for hours.
“It’s not a lack of communication, it’s not,” Morphew said.
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In a Freedom of Information Act request to the city, KARK 4 News obtained seven different housing violations.
Some of the complaints are listed as a threat to “life safety” and had to be fixed within three days. Saxion said those issues were solved immediately.
In a statement to KARK 4 News, Saxion said, “Because we provide housing for those on government-subsidized housing, we often have inspections for the building. Anytime the city makes us aware of items needing fixed or replaced, we act immediately without hesitation. This is why we have on-site maintenance at the property.”
Some residents say differently.
“He’s got leaks, and just water waste that he refuses to acknowledge,” Morphew said.
KARK 4 News reached out to Saxion specifically about the doors that are broken and left essentially unlocked to the public. This was the response shared on Monday.
“I’m pleased to inform you that new exterior doors are scheduled to be installed as soon as they are shipped to this location,” Saxion said. “New locks & cameras have already been installed to increase security.”
In the statement, Saxion goes on to say, “We’ve invested heavily into improvements and maintenance & will continue to do so. We love this community & we’ve heard from so many of the residents that they would live there forever if they could.”
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