RICHMOND, Va. — Broken elevators, bed bugs, and unreliable air conditioning are just some of the issues causing major frustrations for residents at a Richmond apartment complex. Many of the problems have been cited in city code cases, resulting in violations that a city official said appear to be repeating.
John Reid and Lynwood Gray, residents at Legacy at Imperial Village, said they were drawn to the sprawling apartment community that once solely catered to seniors due to its location on the city's Northside.
But now, they said they're fed up with persistent problems affecting their quality of life.
“There's great potential here, but they're not using it," Reid said. “This place has definitely not been well maintained, and it's not maintenance’s fault, it's not the front office, it's the owners.”
For one, they said the HVAC system is not reliable.
Gray's caretaker Joanna Jerrell said it's especially concerning for her client since he's on oxygen.
“He doesn't have consistent cold air in his apartment to breathe, and that's a must. He had to buy his own unit," Jerrell said.
She's also worried about the cleanliness in common areas. She showed CBS 6 pictures she snapped of trash on a hallway floor and a black substance on the floor of the laundry room.
“It was black, and it was sticky," she said. "It's not a very welcoming environment."
She added some of the mailboxes were not secured, the side door did not work, and one of the elevators was broken down.
According to city code records, multiple buildings in the complex had an elevator violation open from June 2025 through May 2026.
In fact, the property failed ten elevator inspections in a row. An inspector wrote in a case file that the elevator company was not willing to complete the required work "until they are paid by corporate."
With only one operable elevator in his building, and with many of the senior residents being unable to use stairs, Reid said wait times can be frustrating.
“And that boy is old, and it's going to kick the bucket, and who knows if they can get parts, and then what happens? Goodbye, Charlie," Reid said. “What the tenants are looking for is all the infrastructure to function like it was designed to function or either be promptly repaired or replaced.”
Multiple violations have also been issued in recent years for bed bug and cockroach infestations.
In one city code case from 2025, a resident reported the issue as a "chronic problem in this [apartment] community [that] has been ongoing for years." The resident reported the only recourse was to move out, but she could not do so due to a lack of other affordable housing options.
“They have people come out and spray and stuff once a week if you report it, but, they just be back the next week," Gray said.
Richmond City spokesperson Ross Catrow said there have been 180 city code enforcement cases since 2021, the year the complex was sold to the current owners. Most of those cases, he said, resulted in violations.
For comparison, he said there were 18 cases between 2016 and 2020. Catrow said 2016 was the first year the data management system was implemented.
"It appears that similar violations continue to occur throughout this complex," Catrow said.
When problems repeat, he said inspectors work with the on-site management team to prevent future issues. However, he said that process has been hampered due to frequent management turnover.
"The same inspector has been assigned to this property for approximately 18 months, during which time the on-site management has changed four times," Catrow said.
While some of the city's notices of violation threaten fines for uncorrected citations, Catrow said the city has not imposed any fines.
“It breaks my heart as a caregiver to know that they're paying this money. There are veterans in this building that served their country, and they don't have what they need," Jerrell said.
Imperial's website lists rent for a one-bed, one-bathroom apartment at $1,085.
The owner is listed in city records as Imperial Propco LLC based in Lakewood, New Jersey.
Richmond Bizsense reported in 2021 that the complex was bought by Brentwood Investment Group, which has the same address as Imperial Propco LLC, and Bluestone Group.
At the time, Bizsense reported the investors planned millions of dollars in upgrades to the property.
CBS 6 reached out to the groups and property management to ask about those improvements and for responses to resident complaints and city code findings. We have not yet heard back.
“I want them to do the right thing, and give us what we signed a lease on, and treat us like we're humans," Reid said.
City records indicated there's a delinquent tax hold on the address for Imperial. Online information posted by the Finance Department showed $572,000 in real estate taxes still due for 2025.
Catrow said both business license and business personal property taxes are delinquent from 2022 through 2026. If the full amount is not paid by June 16, he said the account will be transferred to a collection agency.
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