| The City of Wilmington has added fines totaling $33,000 against a landlord whose Adams Street apartment buildings were declared uninhabitable in May of 2022, forcing individuals and families to leave 27 apartments spread among seven buildings. The landlord, Adolf J. Pokorny, was fined $5,000 earlier this year for failing to make timely structural repairs to his properties. Pokorny and the city agreed that the landlord could avoid paying additional fines if he corrected the code violations within 45 days or by October 28. The city determined that Pokorny made only a few repairs and that he continues to violate the code. The city began imposing weekly additional fines beginning November 1 and will continue to impose weekly fines until the code violations are corrected. When the city declared Pokorny’s properties unfit for human habitation on May 16, 2022, a code inspection process followed that uncovered 372 building code violations, including serious structural issues. Some of the displaced Adams Street residents found shelter at the county’s Hope Center, while others stayed at a local motel or with family or friends. The Delaware Attorney General’s office also launched a probe into the violations. |
