TOPEKA (KSNT) - City officials are putting the pressure on a local property owner who they say is guilty of numerous health and safety violations in Topeka. 27 News checked back in on the properties owned by Lew McGinnis this week, many which are still lacking dumpsters, to learn how the city is handling the situation. The City of Topeka is sending McGinnis' case to municipal court as a repeat offender, meaning he could face double the fines if found responsible. The City of Topeka's Property Maintenance Unit said it has ordinances set for when a landlord's property is found in violation several times within a 12-month period. Topeka officials have labeled McGinnis as a repeat offender and has issued citations for 38 of his properties. The city is also opening new cases for six other McGinnis properties which still lack dumpsters. Topekans raised their voices about the piling up of trash at various apartment properties around the city in early December 2024. Many residents complained the trash posed a safety hazard to their living conditions. Was moldy food served to students with USD 475? John Schardine, the property maintenance director with the City of Topeka, said this is unfortunate for tenants living at these properties. The situation is also putting members of his team through a lot of stress as they work through these issues. "Not only does it require the initial inspection, but several follow-up inspections," Schardine said. "And then there's the abatement. It's nothing compared to the folks that have to live like this. For the occupants, it's tragic. So, we're trying to make those repairs as quick as possible and as legally as possible." The City of Topeka invoiced McGinnis more than $9,000 after its work crews were forced to clean up the trash at his various properties. The City's Property Maintenance Unit reports that with the six new violations, McGinnis has less than a week to address the issues at his properties before the city takes additional action against him. What’s causing trash pickup delays in Shawnee County? McGinnis, through his company Eucalyptus Real Estate, LLC, filed a lawsuit against an Illinois-based trash collection service and recycling provider earlier in January. He accused the trash service breached its contract with Eucalyptus and defamed his company by lying about which of them was at fault for the trash collection at the properties owned by McGinnis. Tenants are encouraged to communicate with the City of Topeka at this time and report problems in their respective apartments as they appear. You can learn more about the Property Maintenance Unit by clicking here, emailing [email protected] or by calling 785-368-3161. You can also make reports of issues to the city by using the app SeeClickFix. New Kansas state license plate productions are delayed, here’s why For more local news, click here. Keep up with the latest breaking news in northeast Kansas by downloading our mobile app and by signing up for our news email alerts. Sign up for our Storm Track Weather app by clicking here. Follow Matthew Self on X (Twitter): https://twitter.com/MatthewLeoSelf