Rapid City Council agrees on an option to pursue legal action against ‘slumlord’

RAPID CITY, S.D. (KOTA) - Rapid City Council agrees Monday night on having at least the option to pursue legal action against the Ridgestone Mobile Home Park owner.

The property owner, the mayor once called a “slumlord.”

After three years of going back and forth with the landlord about properly maintaining the main water line for 73 mobile homes, the city wants to take stronger action.

The city council approval Monday night means there are two options: either take legal action against the landlord if he does not abide by their contract or shut off the residents' water with prior warning, and the city takes over.

The landlord was emailed an agreement to bring construction plans to the city to fix the problem with a due date of Nov. 1.

The agreement is similar to the one the landlord initially signed in February.

“The property owner had signed the agreement,” Darrell Shoemaker, the city’s communication coordinator, said. “Basically, laying down the timeline. He agreed to the timelines of Apr. 1 in which he would bring forth construction plans done up by a professional contractor and then would have the work done by Sept. 1. He did not comply, didn’t come close to complying with those specifics to that agreement.”

The due construction date for the landlord is still Apr. 1.

If the city ends up choosing to shut off the tenants' water, they will be notified with a letter explaining what and when will the water be turned off.