INDIANAPOLIS -- Marion County health inspectors descended on the Timber Ridge Apartments Wednesday for another round of testing after a recent inspection turned up evidence of asbestos at the troubled complex.

One apartment building has been closed off due to asbestos after lab results from a July 21 showed the cancer-causing substance in at least nine occupied buildings, Call 6's Rafael Sanchez reported.

Wednesday's re-inspection was ordered by a judge Tuesday at the request of attorneys for Timber Ridge after the legal team questioned the county's results.

Timber Ridge has a well-documented history of violations, according to the health department, including more than 70 violations filed in environmental court.

That number does not include violations resulting from the most recent inspection, when health officials were allowed -- for the first time -- to go inside vacant units, where they found rooms full of trash and human waste. Many ceilings were caving in, windows were broken out and there were signs of animal and criminal activity, officials said.

J.P. Hanlon, the lead attorney for Timber Ridge Apartments, told Sanchez in court Tuesday that substantial progress was being made at the complex, and that the company that owns the apartments -- W.K. Holdings -- was working with the city and with residents to address their concerns.

Hanlon declined an interview as the retesting began Wednesday, but a spokesman for Timber Ridge did tell Sanchez that the company had hired a certified asbestos consultant to monitor the process.

This is not the first time asbestos has been found at the complex, Sanchez reported. In 2007, a private company was paid more than $60,000 to clean up the hazardous material.

Health department officials said the asbestos threat needs to be taken seriously.

"Where we know there's asbestos, especially in those common areas, we make sure that the areas are secure and that the management understands that those areas must be secure just for the safety of the occupants who are in those buildings," said health department spokesman John Althardt.

Some residents said even if asbestos isn't found in the second-round of testing, it doesn't mean the complex shouldn't be condemned.

"Yeah, asbestos is going to bother me, but if they don't find asbestos they need to be looking for everything else too because, I mean, it needs to be shutdown," said resident Terry Mays.

A hearing has been scheduled for next week to address the other health code violations from the July 21 inspection.