The landlord of a Sharon apartment building who is currently appealing eight convictions of failure to secure a rental license has been found guilty of two fire violations.

Following a hearing in Sharon on Thursday, Magistrate Travis Martwinski found 54-year-old Joseph Fusco guilty of failing to have compliant fire alarms and fire doors at his State Towers apartments.

Fusco, who was fined $200 and ordered to pay costs, has filed an appeal in Mercer County Common Pleas Court challenging earlier convictions on eight counts of failure to secure a rental license.  In those cases, Fusco was ordered to pay $3,200 in fines and fees.

35 tenants of the State Towers had to find shelter elsewhere in April because authorities say Fusco had not paid the sewer bill, even though tenants said rent was collected on April 1.

In addition, a fire inspector reported finding over 60 code violations at the apartments ranging from inoperable fire doors and almost 50 different places that were lacking necessary smoke detector systems. For the smoke detector systems that were found only one or two of them worked.

Additionally, the boiler regulator had been leaking gas into the building for almost a month, stairwells were filled with bird feces and drywall was coming off the walls and ceiling.

Notices from the city of Sharon were taped to apartment doors telling tenants that they needed to find another place to live.