Reversing course, the city of Davenport now plans to order a structural engineering report, among other actions, at a downtown Davenport apartment building. Earlier this month, Justin Carlisle, a former employee and tenant, posted photos to Facebook showing a deteriorating basement underneath what he said was the downtown Davenport apartment building where he lived and used to work at Third and Harrison streets. The pictures generated hundreds of reactions and comments on Facebook and a complaint filed with the city urging an inspector to look at the building's basement.
But a code enforcement officer let into the property by its management on Jan. 13 found “nothing existing to match the published pictures” and “no deficiencies needing immediate attention or cause of suspicion for tenant safety.” The officer closed the complaint as unfounded.
Pictures that the officer filed as part of the report showed what appeared to be a different basement in better condition than the photos Carlisle posted online. But Carlisle stood by his photos. He contended that the city inspector and a news station were shown an entirely separate part of the basement of the building on Third and Harrison.
Carlisle then posted a video of himself in the basement that appeared to match his photos. In the video, Carlisle scanned the basement he took photos of and walked up the steps to what he said was his apartment. Then on Wednesday morning, Carlisle was arrested.
He’s accused of, among other things, trespassing at 307 Harrison St. and taking photos and videos of the building and its basement. Because of the police investigation into the trespassing report, the city was made aware of a separate part of the basement, city spokesperson Denise Hnytka wrote in an email Wednesday.
“This area of the basement was not made available to the Code Enforcement Officer during his first inquiry on January 13, 2025, despite his request to view the area depicted in photos shared on social media,” Hnytka wrote in an email Wednesday evening. “The City will be following its normal procedures in issuing a Notice & Order to remove debris, address electrical non-compliance, and have an independent structural engineering report performed on that basement area.” Hnytka added that the city encourages residents with concerns about the structural integrity of a building or substandard rental units to report those concerns directly to the city by phone to 563-326-6198 or online at www.
davenportiowa.com/pwrs “By providing information directly to the city, code enforcement officers can obtain all information necessary to investigate complaints,” Hnytka wrote. As for Carlisle, 43, he is being held in the Scott County jail on bond, facing one felony and three misdemeanor charges stemming from his association as an employee of Andrew Wold Investments and a tenant of the Wold-owned apartment building at 307 N.
Harrison St. He is accused of felony forgery, as well as misdemeanor counts of third-degree harassment, third-degree criminal mischief and trespass with injury. The harassment charge was based on Carlisle's social media activity.
According to the criminal complaint, Davenport police took a report of a forgery on Jan. 10. During the investigation, police said they determined Carlisle took possession of a blank check belonging to Andrew Wold Investments.
Carlisle allegedly addressed the check to himself in the amount of $800 and forged the signature of the payor. He cashed the check at CBI Bank & Trust, 101 W. Second St.
, allegedly with no right license or privilege to do so with the intent to defraud the victim, the complaint states. On Jan. 15, Davenport police then received a report of harassment.
According to the police report, after Carlisle was fired by Andrew Wold Investments, he "repeatedly posted accusations against the company.” While the complaint doesn't name the person who Carlisle allegedly targeted at the company, it asserts Carlisle "proceeded to tag the victim's personal social media accounts and post accusations about her personal life." According to the complaint: "These posts have no legitimate purpose and have caused annoyance to the victim.
The effects of these social media posts have disrupted the victim's personal life as well as her ability to complete her work duties." Then, the police received a burglary report on Jan. 17 at 307 Harrison St.
, which resulted in the trespassing and criminal mischief charges. The police report states Carlisle "recorded himself inside the common area, inside Unit 1, and inside the basement of 307 Harrison Street and posted them to public social media pages." The police report alleges Carlisle "had no lawful right or permission to enter the building and has previously been removed by property management.
” The report alleges Carlisle caused damage between $750 and $1,500. Davenport police requested warrants for Carlisle’s arrest between Jan. 15 and Jan.
17. He was taken into custody on Wednesday. He is being held in the Scott County Jail on a $550 cash-only bond and a $2,000 secured bond.
He is awaiting an initial court appearance. Carlisle previously told the Quad-City Times he worked for Andrew Wold Investment's property management doing maintenance work for about a month and a half at a handful of properties and felt compelled to share the conditions of the buildings he worked and lived in. Carlisle told the Quad-City Times he was asked to complete plumbing repairs that were far outside his abilities as an electrician and repair man and was fired after a failed inspection.
The building at Third and Harrison, commonly known as the Berg apartments, is occupied, but two units in the building were ordered to vacate in 2023 because of code violations. The violations were isolated to those units, according to the city, and neither can be re-occupied until a reinspection demonstrates compliance. For-sale signs are posted to the outside of the building.
The buildings with addresses of 307 and 309 N. Harrison St. and next door at 246 W.
Third St. are owned, according to county records, by cooperatives that state records indicate were incorporated in 2019 by Andrew Wold. Wold was the owner of the downtown building 324 Main St.
that collapsed in 2023, killing three people. Since then, the city has vacated other buildings because of structural concerns, such as the Schricker Apartment building on West Fourth Street after a Shive-Hattery structural assessment found the building could collapse with little to no warning. Notices and orders by the city typically give a property owner time to come into compliance unless there’s concern of an immediate life-safety issue for tenants.
It’s not clear if the city has ordered any more units at Third and Harrison to be vacated this week after the city learned of the separate basement. In a news conference Nov. 2, 2023, Peach and Lexus Berry talk about their life five months following the collapse of 324 Main St.
where they lived. Rescuers amputated Peach's leg to free her from the rubble. They are currently suing a number of defendants following the collapse, including building owner Andrew Wold and the City of Davenport.
Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds, center, tours the site of The Davenport building collapse Monday, June 5, 2023, in Davenport. The 80-unit apartment building in downtown Davenport collapsed May 28.
Iowa Task Force 1, Urban Search and Rescue, outside The Davenport, Monday, June 5, 2023, in Davenport. The 80-unit apartment building in downtown Davenport collapsed May 28. A search and rescue member stands outside The Davenport, Monday, June 5, 2023, in Davenport.
The 80-unit apartment building in downtown Davenport collapsed May 28. Emergency personnel walk around the scene of The Davenport partial building collapse Monday, June 5, 2023, in Davenport. Iowa Task Force 1, Urban Search and Rescue, outside The Davenport, Monday, June 5, 2023, in Davenport.
The 80-unit apartment building in downtown Davenport collapsed May 28. Emergency personnel take a break at the scene of The Davenport partial building collapse. Emergency personnel walk around the scene of The Davenport partial building collapse, Monday, June 5, 2023, in Davenport.
The 80-unit apartment building in downtown Davenport collapsed May 28. "Charge them with murder" is chanted at the intersection of 4th and Harrison streets as a small group gathers with signs near the site of The Davenport on Monday, June 5, 2023, in Davenport. "Charge them with murder" is chanted at the intersection of Fourth and Harrison Streets as a small group gathers with signs near the site of The Davenport, Monday, June 5, 2023, in Davenport.
The 80-unit apartment building in downtown Davenport collapsed May 28. Gov. Kim Reynolds talks with Davenport Fire Chief Michael Carlsten as the governor tours the site of The Davenport building collapse, Monday, June 5, 2023, in Davenport.
The 80-unit apartment building in downtown Davenport collapsed May 28. Gov. Kim Reynolds talks with Davenport Fire Chief Michael Carlsten as the governor tours the site of The Davenport building collapse, Monday, June 5, 2023, in Davenport.
The 80-unit apartment building in downtown Davenport collapsed May 28. Gov. Kim Reynolds, right, talks with Davenport Fire Chief Michael Carlsten as the governor tours the site of The Davenport building collapse Monday, June 5, 2023, in Davenport.
Gov. Kim Reynolds tours the site of The Davenport building collapse, Monday, June 5, 2023, in Davenport. The 80-unit apartment building in downtown Davenport collapsed May 28.
Gov. Kim Reynolds tours the site of The Davenport building collapse. Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter.
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