birminghamal.gov
A major blighted property that was the site of multiple fires has been demolished following a lawsuit filed by the Office of the City Attorney for the City of Birmingham. Demolition of the property, The Vue on Prince at 3128 Prince Avenue, was completed last week by crews representing the property owners.
“This is another example of our focus on removing blight from our neighborhoods,” Mayor Randall L. Woodfin said. “If private property owners harbor blight in our communities, we will hold them accountable through code enforcement and in the courts. I commend City Attorney Nicole King and DNAT for their role in ridding our neighborhoods of blight.”
On Friday, the city announced Friday it filed a lawsuit in Jefferson County Circuit Court against Norwood Plaza Apartments, LLC and its property management company, Tutwiler Realty, Inc., seeking to have the property declared both a drug-related nuisance and a public nuisance under Alabama law.
The Drug Nuisance Abatement Team in the Office of the City Attorney sued The Vue on Prince, LLC, and Toorak Capital Partners, LLC, in August after the property owner failed to address multiple code violations and repeated fires at the multi-building property.
“The DNAT team in the Office of the City Attorney is dedicated to addressing problem properties that create a nuisance and public safety concerns for neighborhoods,” City Attorney Nicole King said. “The city filed a lawsuit following inaction by the property owner to address multiple code violations and repeated fires at the buildings. Residents were clear about their concerns at this location, and we were committed to have this dangerous blight removed. Due to this successful effort, the property was demolished without additional cost to the city. DNAT is committed to breaking down blight one property at a time.”
In the spring of 2020, City Attorney King created DNAT, which through the courts, holds landowners accountable for keeping their properties clean and free of crime and blight. The team has successfully prevailed in multiple lawsuits and worked with property owners to generate a safer environment for the residents both on those properties and in surrounding neighborhoods. The city’s DNAT strategy has served as a model for other municipalities.
To report a nuisance property, contact the Office of the City Attorney at problemproperty@birminghamal.gov or 205.254.6450, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
