Contact Information:

Meg Matthews

Public Relations Manager

mmatthews@littlerock.gov

(501) 804-4822

City of Little Rock Takes Action to Close Dangerous Apartment Complex

(Little Rock – June 6, 2012)

City of Little Rock Attorney Tom Carpenter has filed a motion with Pulaski County Circuit Court to request the closure and evacuation of a crime ridden property - the Valley Heights Apartments at 6900 Cantrell Road.

“We added this property to our Criminal Abatement Program (CAP) in April 2011 due to numerous calls to the Little Rock Police Department regarding criminal activity at Valley Heights,” said City Manager Bruce Moore. “After extensive attempts to work with property owners, we decided legal action was the best avenue to take in regards to safety for the entire neighborhood.”

The nuisance abatement action was filed in Pulaski County Circuit Court yesterday. The Defendants are several corporations that collectively own and operate Valley Heights.  The case has been assigned to Judge Collins Kilgore.

The City of Little Rock is asking Judge Kilgore to declare Valley Heights to be a public nuisance; order all tenants evicted and ask that the property be closed.

“We argue that under present circumstances, the Valley Heights Apartment complex is a threat to the health, safety, and welfare of the citizens and residents of the City of Little Rock,” wrote Assistant City Attorney Cliff Sward in the Complaint for Injunction and Order of Abatement.

“The activity at Valley Heights contributes to the deterioration of the neighborhood in and around these premises,” Sward continues, “and adversely affects the use and enjoyment of the surrounding lands by the adjacent neighbors and property owners.”

No court date has been set. The City will ask for a hearing at the court’s earliest opportunity. Attached is the formal complaint that has been filed.