SOUTH : Hotel Owners Hit With 31 Violations

The city attorney’s office has charged a South-Central couple who own a residential hotel with 31 counts of health, building and safety code violations.

Harold W. Dickens, 61, and his wife, Isabelle R. Dickens, 60, were charged after a three-month investigation of the 20-unit building they own at 1241 Martin Luther King Blvd.

The city’s Slum Housing Task Force found serious fire hazards, including defective smoke detectors and faulty fire doors; rodent infestation, and broken windows and doors, prosecutor Lawrence Punter said.

Dickens said he has contacted the city attorney’s office to negotiate a settlement, but said he has not received a response.

“Some of the structural problems were caused by the earthquake,” Dickens said. “Some of the violations we haven’t had a chance to take care of because we were dealing with problems of the earthquake. And we are right on the alley and it’s a bad alley.”

Punter said: “We understand the earthquake may have done some damage, but the conditions we are asking Mr. Dickens to correct are not earthquake-related, such as the roach infestation.”