Mississippi court: Owner ordered extradited for unmet demolition deadline

Jackson Environmental Court Judge Jeffrey Reynolds has ordered the extradition of Ramesh Ramchandran, the owner of the Grand Chateau apartments, after he failed to meet a court-mandated deadline. The judge issued the order on Thursday, initiating the process to bring Ramchandran back to Mississippi to serve his sentence.

Ramchandran was found guilty of seven code violations related to the condition of the West Capitol Street complex. In a prior ruling, Reynolds suspended a 630-day jail sentence on the condition that the owner apply for a permit to restore or demolish the property within 30 days. Court records show that Ramchandran did not file the required application within that timeframe.

Because the condition of the suspended sentence was not met, the judge reinstated the full 630-day term. Reynolds stated that Ramchandran must serve the time day-for-day. The order specifies that there will be no early release without the judge's express written permission.

Reynolds described the Grand Chateau as a menace to city residents in his written order. The judge is now asking the governor of Georgia to issue a warrant for the defendant's arrest. Court records indicate that Ramchandran has left Mississippi and currently resides in Georgia.

The legal action follows earlier media coverage of the property's deteriorating state. The case began with the initial guilty verdict, which led to the probationary period for the demolition permit. The failure to act during that 30-day window triggered the current extradition request and the reinstatement of the jail term.