Why don't government offices in Memphis call back?

[Sylvia Castellanos]

I want to share an experience I am having with Memphis. Some time back I purchased a property on Silas Rd. and when I got home from work on the evening of the 5th, I had waiting for me a violation warning from the Department of Environmental Enforcing. I life in Philadelphia, but fortunately I still had the contact information for someone who had taken pictures for me of properties when I was in the process of buying. I sent him an email that evening. By the evening of the 6th he had not answered, so I called him. He said he would check it out, take care of cleaning it up if not much was involved, and find me someone if it was a big job. Yesterday, he 8th, it occurred to me to check on the notice for the deadine I was given. I was shocked to find the deadline was, in fact, the 8th! Needless to say, when they put the notice in the envelope they had printed out, they knew full well it was going to Pennsylvania, where it didn’t arrive until the 5th.

The notice includes that if the lot has not been cleaned up by the deadline, the city will take care of it and charge the delinquent owner at least $110 an hour for the work.

I called my contact, Brooks, who went out to the lot yesterday. He is returning today with someone who will presumably do it, although not necessarily today.

Yesterday morning I called Michael Ward, the contact name provided, explained the situation, and asked him to call me back. Over the course of the day I continued leaving him messages and Brooks left him messages as well, but he never called either of us back. I made several calls to the main number provided on the notice, but I got voicemail again no one called me back. I learned that this office is under the Department of Housing, and when I called that third number I was surprised to yet again get voicemail and no one called me back.

Can someone familiar with the situation in Memphis comment on all this?