PETERSBURG, Va. -- A Virginia judge has now sentenced the owner of a vacant Petersburg motel to 16 months in jail for failing to keep the building up to date on building codes.
Santokh Singh, the owner of Katumbh LLC which operates The Travel Inn at 530 E. Washington Street, appeared before the Petersburg General District Court for trial on charges of Failure to Secure a Vacant Building, Storage of Combustibles in a Vacant Structure, and Failure to Maintain a Fire Alarm and Sprinkler System at the Travel Inn.
Petersburg City Attorney Anthony Williams argued that Assistant Fire Marshal Jeffrey Flemming had recently brought similar charges with subsequent convictions of Singh for the building. He added that the disabled fire alarm and sprinkler system constituted a 'significant danger' to citizen and public safety personnel.
The Honorable Chief Judge Ray Lupold, III agreed and sentenced to Singh to a total of 36-months in jail. The judge suspended 6 months on two of the charges and 8 months on the remaining one.
“Given the failure of this defendant to correct the issues on the property and the dangerous nature of the violations, the Judge’s decision was fair and appropriate,” said Anthony Williams, Petersburg City Attorney.
Petersburg's Mayor Sam Parham also celebrated the decision saying, "Petersburg appreciates the Court’s understanding of the magnitude of the many dilapidated and dangerous structures like this one and hopes that the City’s continued efforts through Fire and Code Enforcement and the City Attorney’s Office will encourage owners to bring their properties into compliance with the law.”
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