MEMPHIS, TN (abc24.com) - The clock is ticking for the owner of an abandoned motel near Memphis International Airport.
A court ordered the company to have the place fenced off and cleaned up. It still hasn't happened even though the court was told the work would be finished by Monday, June 11.
The Executive Inn has been an eyesore for a long time. Walls have been ripped from the building for scrap metal, and the property is now a haven for crime, and a financial black hole for neighboring businesses.
The owner could be held in contempt of court if the property isn't in shape by Tuesday.
The motel got some new artwork in the form of graffiti since ABC 24's last visit, a gesture to Memphis Police and a warning that the end is near.
These recent acts of vandalism may not have happened had the property been fenced off. Instead it remains a canvas for graffiti artists and a dumping ground where apparently Willie Herenton is still running for office.
“I don't know what you do with a situation like this because at one point it was a functioning hotel, that people worked hard at and had jobs,” said Clay Hardy.
Hardy and Holly Woods remember those days. They came to Executive Inn to take pictures of their old hang-out spot. They were shocked to see what it had become.
Woods said she had seen evidence of prostitution among the hotel's remains. "Yeah, there are lots of women's clothing in the hallway, high heels and underwear and stuff."
This isn't supposed to be the case.
“We're going to get it cleaned up and rehabilitated,” the property owner’s lawyer, Max Williams, said during a court appearance nearly a month ago.
Time is running out for the owner whom the court ordered to fence off and cleanup the property.
A cesspool is what remains of the pool at Executive Inn. Contractors are supposed to drain the filth in it and cover it up so no one who comes back here can fall in.
The owner was fined more than $24,000 two months ago for being a no-show in court. If he doesn't comply with the latest demands, that fine will increase.
Until then, this hotel remains a sight that causes sore eyes.
