The owners of a local condominium complex on North Beach have come up with a unique policy for addressing criminal activity in and around their condos.
From now on, the Villa Del Sol condos will not be renting to anyone with a criminal record, and the owners also plan to evict current tenants who have a criminal past.
The Homeowners Association at Villa Del Sol said it is all aimed at reducing crime in that part of the city.
“To any drug dealers or prostitutes or anyone doing anything here at Villa Del Sol, you will no longer be welcomed and it will no longer be tolerated,” said Cheryl Martinez, president of the Homeowners Association.
The incident that sparked this new change took place on Friday, when a tenant called the fire department to complain about a strong drug odor in the area, though when police and firefighters investigated, nothing was found. Still, on Saturday, the homeowners association voted to fully enforce the new rule for current and future tenants.
Sex offenders or those with drug convictions will no longer be allowed to stay on the property. Mandatory background checks on tenants have begun, and several tenants have already been asked to leave the property.
“Everyone felt it was unfortunate that this had to happen, but we are very excited about the efforts to clean up,” condominium owner John Blatter said.
The Villa Del Sol Homeowners Association is working with the Corpus Christi Police Department to set up a neighborhood watch and get extra patrols in the area.
Under the Fair Housing law, convicted criminals are not a protected class, which means renters have a right to refuse service to people based on their criminal background, which is happening in this case.
Source: kiiitv
