Bing camp says fines paid

Exec calls disclosure of papers alleging violations 'politically driven'

David Josar / The Detroit News

Detroit --A top executive of Dave Bing's company on Thursday said it has paid outstanding inspections fees the city maintains are delinquent and alleged documents outlining violations at the plants are "politically driven."

Bing Group CFO Tom Lijana provided invoices from Nov. 15, 2007, showing the company had paid $1,822 in inspection and late fees that dated to 1998. Lijana said the company never received another invoice that claimed the firm owes $372 for an inspection last summer.

"This is normal for the city," Lijana said. "They're unfriendly to business. I believe this is politically driven."

He responded to a Wednesday article in The Detroit News that detailed an April 6 letter from city inspectors to Bing Corporate Services. The letter notified the company that 10 violations, including those dealing with emergency exits, from a Dec. 26, 2007, inspection had yet to be resolved. The records claimed Bing failed to schedule a follow-up in 2008 showing the problems were fixed, and owes more than $1,773 in fees.

The article also detailed a March 26 letter from inspectors citing the Bing Group at 1200 Woodland for lacking a certificate of compliance showing it passed an annual inspection and for paying annual inspection fees and fixing any violations.

Bing is running against Mayor Kenneth Cockrel Jr. to fill the remainder of Kwame Kilpatrick's term. The election is Tuesday.

Both Lijana and Bing Group CEO Kirk Lewis never received either "correction order" that outlined the violations, they said Thursday.

Lijana noted the plant was closed on the date of the Dec. 26, 2007 inspection.

"There is no way they could have inspected us that day," he said, noting that names of the inspector and supervisor were left blank on city records.

The mayor's press secretary said the documents speak for themselves.

"The city keeps very good records," Daniel Cherrin said.

Lijana, who said the company had been researching its records since Tuesday, was unable on short notice to provide records that the code violations had been corrected. He does recall a visit from a city inspector last year, Lijana said, but that man had to return because he did not have paperwork for all the buildings on the Bing campus.

The inspector never came back, Lijana said.

"That is what we always have to deal with," he said, adding the company often pays fees even if they aren't sure what they are to avoid penalties.