El Cajon motel with ‘deplorable living conditions’ closed
A motel attached to a liquor store in El Cajon has been closed and its owner levied a fine of up to $5,800 per day until the city’s code enforcement officers deem the property safe for guests to return.
At a public hearing on Tuesday, the El Cajon City Council unanimously voted to fine Amir Habib $100 per day for each of 58 code violations at the Valley Motel, including roach and bed bug infestation, broken windows, no smoke detector, holes in the wall and “general filth,” according to a Fire Marshal report.
In early October, El Cajon police were called for service at the motel and while there, officers noted extensive city code violations on the site and requested help from the city’s Code Enforcement and the Building and Fire Safety Division staff.
Their follow-up inspection led to “numerous deplorable living conditions” in which “a plethora of violations were noted including one of the worst infestations of insects, roaches and bed bugs that staff has encountered,” the report said.
“Cockroaches were climbing up the walls of the (rooms),” City Councilman Gary Kendrick said.
Additionally, Police Chief Jim Redman told the council that Valley Motel, adjacent to Fountain Liquor on Mollison Avenue near the Interstate 8 on-ramp, has been the site of serious criminal behavior for several years. The Police Department since 2012 has fielded 184 calls for service and made 36 arrests for offenses such as narcotics possession, felony possession of a firearm and probation violation at the motel.
Redman also said police have arrested gang members distributing methamphetamine from the motel. One year ago, a search warrant was obtained under which meth, other drugs for sale, holsters and contraband were discovered. Managers of the motel were involved in the drug sales, Redman said.
The liquor store was also cited for infractions that include illegal wiring and the illegal expansion of the store, which took over two of the motel units.
Habib apologized and said he would “accept responsibility for the poor condition at the property” and asked for more time before the city would start fining him. He said he had owned the store and motel for more than 20 years and was a 34-year resident of the city.
He said a pest control service had come twice to exterminate the insects and were going to come for a final treatment after he had new floors installed. He also said beds and box springs, tiles, broken windows and lights were replaced, smoke detectors installed and a new paint job had been done.
“I have hired a new staff... new maids, office staff and maintenance people,” he said. “As you can see, I’m taking all the steps bringing (the motel to) compliance. I intend to be more hands-on and actively see the issues and fix them. I am ashamed at the bad condition. I will make it right, I will make everyone proud of the property.”
After the hearing was closed, the council unanimously voted to immediately start the fines. Mayor Bill Wells told Habib to let code enforcement know when the problems were taken care of, “the faster the better.”
Councilman Gary Kendrick added: “If I see you back again under conditions like this, I’ll be asking to have (the property) bulldozed down, even if I have do the bulldoze myself.”
