A local hotel has fired back against claims made by the City of Greenville, accusing the property of being “a common nuisance” due to repeated criminal activity.
Champak R.and Sarla Patel, the owners of the Economy Inn, 5103 Interstate Highway 30 filed an original answer Tuesday afternoon in response to the city’s application for a temporary and permanent injunction against the property.
In addition to a general denial of the city’s suit filed with the 354th District Court last month, the Patels included special exceptions, specifically denying allegations they allowed dozens of arrests for crime to occur at the motel.
“”The Defendants cannot reasonably foresee which guests will be disruptive or problematic at the time of check-in, and they are not able to invade guests’ privacy to ascertain potential disruptive or criminal activity,” according to Mansi Gaur, the Patel’s attorney.
Gaur said the Patels have lived on the property since 2010 and run the motel on a 24/7 basis.
“Any guests who engage in disruptive behavior were promptly warned and removed,” Gaur said, adding the Patels had not received any violation from the city or the police department in the last three years. “This lack of official notice underlines their lack of knowledge about any purported criminal activity and their good faith efforts to run a law-abiding business.”
Gaur also claimed that the standard for a preliminary injunction, filed by the city on May 10, had not been appropriately analyzed and that shutting down the property would cause severe financial hardship and displacement for the family.
“The Defendants have not received any violation from the city and/or the police department in the last three years,” Gaur said. “This lack of official notice supports their lack of knowledge about any purported criminal activity and their good faith efforts to run a lac-abiding business.”
Gaur was also seeking a trial by jury in the case.
No additional hearings had been scheduled with the court in the case as of Thursday evening.