City Of Birmingham Sues Town Motel Property Over Continued Illegal Drug Activity

From the City of Birmingham:

September 22, 2021

BIRMINGHAM, AL – The City of Birmingham’s Offtice of the City Attorney is suing the owners and operators of the Town Motel property located at 414 3rd Avenue West due to the high amount of illegal drug activity and violence. Third Avenue Hospitality, Inc., Ramsuyog, LLC and Shree Laxmi Narayan, LLC have been named as the owners in the complaint.

The city states the owners of the property have been notified that a drug-related nuisance exists on the property and have “refused or failed to correct the ongoing problem.”

The city contends:

• The Birmingham Police Department Narcotics Unit has served and executed search warrants at the property,

• There is an increased volume of vehicular and pedestrian traffic to and from the property,

• Multiple complaints have been made to the city and law enforcement concerning illegal activity at the property,

• Birmingham Police Department investigations led to arrests and illegal drug seizures in a room in May and another room in September.

“We are committed to holding property owners accountable for ongoing criminal activity that poses a danger for individuals both at those properties and the surrounding neighborhood,” City Attorney Nicole King said.

The Code of Alabama, 1975, Section 6-5-156.3 allows municipalities to seek a permanent injunction of the property preventing further use as a drug nuisance and to seek damages pursuant to Section 6-5-155.6 (d)(4).

In the spring of 2020, City Attorney Nicole King created the Office of the City Attorney’s Drug and Nuisance Abatement Team, also known as OCA-DNAT, which works through the courts to hold landowners accountable for keeping their properties clean and getting rid of crime and blight associated with nuisance issues. The team has successfully closed nine cases generating a safer environment for the residents both on those properties and in the surrounding neighborhoods. They continue to investigate other properties. OCA-DNAT works closely with the Birmingham Police Department to identify areas where landlords are not taking care of properties or providing adequate security.

Problems with drug and nuisance properties can be reported via email to problemproperty@birminghamal.gov or residents may call the internal Drug and Nuisance Abatement Team at 205-254-2369 during normal business hours.

This press release was produced by the City of Birmingham. The views expressed are the author's own.