BUENA VISTA, NASHVILLE, Tenn. (Jen French) -- A North Nashville family has filed a lawsuit, claiming their father's death in a house fire could have been prevented. 63-year-old Albert Mays tried to escape his home on Cephas Street on January 8, 2014, but never made it out alive. Nashville Fire investigators found the Mays' body in the doorway, suggesting he tried to leave but collapsed due to smoke inhalation. Neighbors say Mays always mowed the grass on Cephas Street. "You know-he kept everybody's yard clean around here," Mario Ginyard said, neighbor. "He kept a lot of lawn mowers and gas cans in there," Marty Brock said, neighbor. That January morning, Brock saw the flames at Mays' home. "I just heard some crackling, I looked out, and the whole house was in flames," He said. According to a civil suit filed in Davidson County Circuit Court, Mays' family claimed his death was "due to [his property manager's] negligence, nine months after Metro Fire responded to a fire at the same home and told the property owner to install smoke detectors. "Every house should come with a smoke detector," Mario Ginyard said. FOX 17 informed the property owner Puush Management Company of the lawsuit. FOX 17 spoke to Mays' landlord on the phone, but he would not comment on the recently filed suit. In the lawsuit, the family also alleges the City of Nashville didn't enforce its smoke detector policy on the property owner. The City of Nashville has 60 days to respond to the lawsuit.
