Category Archives: Community

Property Nuisance Suits City of Columbus

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City Attorney Files Largest Nuisance Suit In Columbus History
By CLARE ROTH • SEP 19, 2018

Columbus leaders announced the largest public nuisance lawsuit in the city’s history today, naming three large multi-building apartment complexes with 802 units owned by one realty group.

Columbus City Attorney Zach Klein says one complex, the Mayfair Village Apartments on East Broad Street near Whitehall, had a multitude of health, sanitation and safety violation. In June, the city began fining the company $1,000 a day.

“Those fines have now racked up over $75,000, so this really is a last resort,” Klein says.

Klein says the city started working with the property management group AMG in early 2017, but they failed to fully comply.

“There’s a litany of things: extensive water damage, inoperable furnaces, damaged walls and ceilings, a ceiling actually collapsed on an individual, someone fell through a steps, mold, drains, lighting fixtures with exposed wires that are live wires that someone could get electrocuted, roach infestations, rodent infestations,” Klein says.

But Klein says there’s no immediate danger for tenants.

“We are not looking to shut them down and relocate 802 units, because there’s no immediate threat,” he says. “What we are looking to do is use the court process to compel this individual to fix these properties immediately.”

While the City Attorney’s office has gone after, and closed, apartment complexes as recently as last month, Klein says this case is different – it’s about quality of life, instead of crime.

“Shutting down places, most of the time, it’s in conjunction with police,” Klein says. “It’s about violence, it’s about drugs, it’s about gangs. This time, it’s about poor quality of life.”

The lawsuit also involves AMG’s Hartford on the Lake comlpex near Noe-Bixby Park, and the Fitzroy Apartments just off Morse Road.

The lawsuit is filed in Franklin County Environmental Court.

http://radio.wosu.org/post/city-attorney-files-largest-nuisance-suit-columbus-history?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter#stream/0
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Until the city passes legislation to treat any property being rented whether a company, LLC, or individual as a defined business with a set of rules and regulations with specific definitions, compliance, and enforcement, this problem with continue to fester.

Start with

  1. Required registering of all rental properties with a better yearly required valid contact information to include a valid email.
  2. In addition to this there should be a mechanism next to the contact number to quickly report if the contact info is not valid so that the auditors office can take action for incorrect information. This is technology that can easily be implemented and at least follows the principal that the city needs to provide better resources so citizens can “partner” with the city so that the city can have reliable information on property owners whether, owned, rented, or bank owned and take more timely action when citizens report a concern to code enforcement. There are many people that try to report issues but get stuck immediately on the first page
  3. Properties for profit rentals, etc should have to pay an administration fee or rental tax or rental license fee to the city for this. We tax everything else why not these properties that our renting in our communities and taking advantage of our city resources of trash pickup and community maintenance, hence our BIG major bulk trash situation MOSTLY caused by rental properties!
  4. As a home owner we pay to have trash removed based on average occupancy of a single home dwelling and most likely taking into account the turnover of the property. Properties that are rented should have to pay a higher fee because their trash burden to the city is more substantial than my usage.
  5. Out of state property owners, companies, or LLCs should be required to have a local property manager.
  6. Properties for rent should have a certification statement from a governing agency of acceptable living conditions similar to the requirements sent forth in order to have a property certified as Section 8.
  7. Rental properties formed as LLC’s should be required to show their Profit-Loss Statements. This information should be readily available on the Auditors site.
  8. Rental contracts that have to be filed with the city with specific language that includes code enforcement requirements of maintaining a property in the city this would include language in the contract that if a tenant for example fails to maintenance a property such as mowing, snow removal, etc or code enforcement the owner is immediately responsible regardless of whether language is specified in the contract of renter responsibility.
  9. The city should provide services to a property owner that rents to compose and have a sheet listing city services, rules, etc. This can even go further and include local block-watches and nearby community organizations.
  10. The city should compose and have available to rental property owners a list of expectations, city services, how to use, etc for all renters. The property owner renting should be required to hand out to every renter and every time they rent to a new renter.
  11. The eviction process needs to be changed to remove the “set out” process of evicted tenants. This just contributes to our trash and blight problem in our communities.
  12. The property owner is responsible for the proper removal of tenant belongings left in a property and not allowed to be set out as bulk for the city to have to take care of.
  13. There should be an “Angie’s List” of some kind that is easily assessable for both tenants and landlords to check the “rating” factor of both tenants and landlords.

My first bulk up request

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I’ve definitely been an advocate and promoter for city services especially refuse, recycle and yard waste collection and bulk pick up but being a first time user of the bulk pick up service I must say I am very disappointed in my service request not being fulfilled. I came home to find that it hadn’t been picked up and when I looked up the ticket number it had been marked closed with no explanation. I called Columbus311 this morning and was told that it was construction debris! I advised that I didn’t understand how because it consisted of larger household items, furniture, trash cans, pictures, buckets, brooms etc that would not fit in my 90 gallon trash receptacle. I also said that I had a shopping cart nearby that frequently ends up in our alley and it was sitting next to it as well as two large glass door inserts that were going to be picked up by someone else but in no way was included in the bulk pickup. Apparently since they were in close proximately that warranted not picking up anything and that they don’t “pick thru” the items to ascertain what will be taken. Given that the bulk items were all grouped together I ponder what sorting thru had to be done. I figured they just saw what they wanted to see and concluded that it was all construction debris instead of realizing the items grouped together as household bulk. Puts a sour taste in one’s mouth who has always advocated bulk service and always worked hard to keep our alley the best in the area and unfortunately another example of advocating for services that end up being problematic after encouraging neighbors to use the services. I did get a call from the supervisor who is still researching what had happened but said it will be picked up tomorrow. Meanwhile I’m out there looking at the pile of remaining items as several pieces seemed worthwhile for others to want (well aside from the mop I had put out and found one street over yesterday evening when I was out walking the dog with my neighbor!) to be sure nothing “appeared” to be construction debris.

Sigh, my time is short here – I’m worn out and I’m pretty serious when I say my next home will be out in the country with my only worries being fending off the wildlife!

[Update: 08/10/18/Friday/All picked up this morning!]

#bulk
#services
#ServiceFail
#trash
#community
#WestgateHeights
#WestgateHeightsCommunityAlliance
#ColumbusOH
#ColumbusOhio
#Columbus
#OH
#Ohio

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Mouse in the house and all that’s related

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A new family on the street shared with me about the terrifying incident of finding a mouse in their house! I said welcome to the west side Hilltop of Columbus, Ohio and that thankfully with the soon removal of the 300 gallon trash receptacles, this may help alleviate part of this problem. Now of course my neighbor behind me that hasn’t spoken to me for over a year because he was and is convinced that I caused the removal of the 300 gallon trash receptacles in my alley causing him a tremendous hardship of having to wheel his 90 gallon trash receptacle out to the alley every Wednesday via his totally filled up two car garage. Of course my suggestion of him fixing his damn gate might help with his current plight and inconvenience but alas being a maintenance person of several properties on the westside, he just didn’t feel he should have to fix his gate to take out the trash and that the city is violating his rights because of this! Now back to the mice, I find it interesting with all the stray and feral cats running the neighborhood that we really shouldn’t have such a problem but again alas with all the kind hearted folk who insist on putting out cat food on their porches and on abandoned properties to feed these little darlings; Well why work to eat when you can just wait to be fed? A truly American concept, no?

#mouse
#house
#trash
#cats
#FeralCats
#StrayCats
#GonnaMissMyHouse
#GonnaMissMyHood
#GonnaMissColumbusOH
#GonnaMissColumbusOhio
#GonnaMissColumbus
#WestgateHeights
#WestgateHeightsCommunityAlliance
#ColumbusOH
#ColumbusOhio
#Columbus
#OH
#Ohio

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State lawmaker working on legislation to crack down on illegal dumping

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State lawmaker working on legislation to crack down on illegal dumping

by Bryant MaddrickTuesday, December 5th 2017

COLUMBUS, Ohio — A state lawmaker is working on legislation to enforce illegal dumping statewide.
State Representative Kristin Boggs said legislation to address the problem started after constituents came to her fed up with landlords dumping former tenants belongings on the curb or in alleys.
“It forces the landlords to dispose of it in a way that will not be a burden on the neighborhood and the people in the neighborhood that have to deal with picking up and cleaning up this left over garbage,” said Representative Boggs.
The lawmaker from Columbus said legislation is in the early stages, but under her bill violators could be fined or even charged with a misdemeanor.
Homeowner Stanley Thornburg lives in Columbus’ Hilltop neighborhood. Thornburg said he’s happy to see the blight issue get attention from a lawmaker and hopes it send a message to
“They should be held to a higher standard to the rest of the community. To any homeowner or anything. Their standards should be higher. No trash, their upkeeps. They should be cited more on enforcement.”
Representative Boggs said she will get more community feedback and introduce her legislation in February 2018.

http://abc6onyourside.com/news/local/state-lawmaker-working-on-legislation-to-crack-down-on-illegal-dumping

Needle Drop Off Boxes in Communities

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Needle Drop Off Box S. Powell Ave & Sullivant Ave

What a waste of taxpayers money! Shame on Columbus City Council! As if a drug user is going to be so conscientious (as in conscious) to take the time and walk to one of these boxes! It’s classic enabling and not solving the problem. Again a “feel good” band-aid that our city officials thought would solve our drug problem.

And don’t say it’s just a metal box. Look at this picture: the box is new, has a lock on it, was set on a poured concrete foundation, and oh yes, we have to pay someone to empty it! Total waste of money that I would have rather seen going into the real issue of shutting down the drug dealers infesting our streets!

#EnablingDrugUsers
#WasteTaxPayersDollars
#WasteCityResources
#WasteOfMoney
#HeroinEpidemic

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People using social media to address blight concerns

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It baffles me the thoughts people have especially homeowners who think that if they just dump their furniture, construction debris, and other large items to the alley or just outside their alley facing fence that it magically disappears.

I’ve had many a challenge addressing such an issue with properties whether owned or rented who state:
“Well I don’t have a gate, or my gate is blocked or doesn’t work so I can’t get around to the alley so I just don’t pay attention!”

Or,
When addressing a property owner that rents out: “It’s not my problem how my tenants get rid of their trash, you take care of it.”

Or,
When you confront the people at 11:00 PM at night that were hired by the property owner that rents out to set out the belongings of an eviction and dumps in the 300 gallon trash containers to overflowing and then continues dumping beside it or just sets it right in the alley blocking the alley: “Well I was just paid to do this by the property owner, here is his number” and you call the property owner and he asks if you are the f*cking mayor and then tells you to f*ck off and mind your own d*mn business.

Or,
You try to get neighbors to realize that yard waste has it’s own disposal mechanism and that just dumping those large tree branches and bushes and other yard waste just outside their alley facing fence or next to the 300 gallon trash receptacles that it magically disappears.

Or,
You go out to find that someone’s construction project debris has totally filled the 300 gallon trash receptacle and that it is so full that the trash truck cannot even lift it to dump it.

Or,
As a concerned citizen you at least try to do something with the discarded mattresses laying up against the 300 gallon trash receptacles that are blocking any further access to the containers and you want to try and move it away but then you notice the clear signs of bedbugs and have to leave it.

Or,
You try to at least turn those discarded older glass TV’s face down because you know within hours they will be kicked in and then you are faced with glass all over the alley.

Or,

As a daily routine you have to check the alley from your garage access to the nearest road access for any glass bottles or broken glass because you don’t want to drive over it with your car risking a flat (which by the way I have to take insurance on those expensive tires and have to use it at least 3 times a year).

Yes, fun times to be living in a city that prides itself in being so community minded but yet can’t address this issue which in a lot of ways is the city’s fault because they just pick it up and don’t address the issue!

#trash
#bulktrash

People using social media to address blight concerns
by BRYANT MADDRICKTuesday, November 14th 2017
http://myfox28columbus.com/news/local/people-using-social-media-to-address-blight-concerns

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WSYX/WTTE) — Fed up with trash and dumping issues, people are turning to social media sites to shine light on neighborhood issues.

One community page on Facebook is dedicated to informing followers to the blight issues in the city.
Trash and dumping issues, such as tires, mattresses, furniture and more, have plagued several Columbus communities for years in areas like south Columbus and the Hilltop.
“It makes me angry. It really does. It makes me angry because this is our neighborhood,” said Bill Huffman.
Huffman belongs to community group “Friends of the Hilltop.” He said exposing these community problems through social media will get the attention of city leaders.

“The city sees Facebook too. Don’t think their personnel who work for them are not on Facebook and the mayor doesn’t hear about these issues out here because he does,” said Huffman.

The longtime Hilltop resident said in addition to getting action from city leaders, ordinary residents are also needed to address the problem.

People who notice excessive trash and dumping issues can call 311 or reach certain departments online.

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Confederate Monuments

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Jeez, rename schools, tear down monuments, and now consider Camp Chase which by the way was only a training camp for Ohio volunteer army soldiers, a parole camp, a muster outpost, and later a prisoner-of-war camp for Confederates and civilians suspected of actively supporting secession and now a cemetery that does annually hold a ceremony to commemorate the Confederate soldiers who had been held and died there. Guess The Hilltop Historical Society better stop placing those Confederate flags on the graves every year!

Next we will redact our history books as we all shouldn’t be reminded of the evil things that we as Americans have done in our past. So it’s ok to protest today with hateful pointless violence and killing activities that we as a civilized society continue today all in the name of claiming that indicators of our evil history should be erased.

In my long years and many places that I have visited, some very horrific, I many times questioned why we memorialized such tragic events in our history. Each time I was pointed to the following saying:

        ’Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.’ – George Santayana

So today when I look at a monument especially the many in the south I don’t see a monument of hate, I look at the history behind the person or moment in history being memorialized, I look, I learn and realize that for every bad, evil, embarrassing moments in our history there has always been good, growth, and triumphs associated with it. We as a nation, as a country, as a melting pot of people, would not be where we are today if not for the combination of the both. I by no means say this is a favorable model but we has human beings have struggled and will continue to struggle with good and evil.

In an age where our entire history is available in the palm of our hand and current events is shared in a fraction of a second, perhaps we can take a minute or two and use our smartphone to snap a picture of that monument and read the history behind that memorialization instead of snapping a picture of it’s destruction and the hate and violence that went with the process. At least the monument for the decades it’s been there didn’t hurt anyone; it only stirred up feelings that perhaps could have been better guided if the history behind it was understood CLEARLY first and realize the monument is merely referencing a point in time in history and not a point in time of the present.

Monument:

  • a statue, building, or other structure erected to commemorate a famous or notable person or event.
  • a statue or other structure placed by or over a grave in memory of the dead.
  • a building, structure, or site that is of historical importance or interest.

In my research I came across this article with interest: http://thefederalist.com/2017/02/20/erasing-history-makes-us-likely-repeat-mistakes/

#OH
#Ohio
#ColumbusOH
#ColumbusOhio
#Columbus
#Hilltop
#HIlltopUSA
#HilltopColumbusOH
#HilltopColumbusOhio
#HilltopCoumbus
#HilltopSlum
#ColumbusWestsideHilltop
#ColumbusWestsideHilltopOH
#ColumbusWestsideHilltopOhio
#ConfederateMonument

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“Summer Jam West brightens Hilltop”

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“Summer Jam West brightens Hilltop”

True leadership is not about being a part of an organization or becoming involved with the status quo. Patti Von Niessen​ is a true inspiration and a much needed visionary in bringing quality events to the Columbus Westside Hilltop. She accomplished this without affiliation but rather taking her vision in bringing art to our community. In doing so she brought people from all cultures together, to mingle, eat, enjoy art, enjoy music, and make new friends. She has accomplished more in bringing people together with a solid theme of activities, events, and learning in the past 4 years than any organization here on the Columbus Westside Hilltop has attempted to do in the past 25 years. This in my opinion makes for a true leader, an inspiration for us all!

#ColumbusOH
#ColumbusOhio
#Columbus
#Hilltop
#HIlltopUSA
#HilltopColumbusOH
#HilltopColumbusOhio
#HilltopCoumbus
#HilltopSlum
#ColumbusWestsideHilltop
#ColumbusWestsideHilltopOH
#ColumbusWestsideHilltopOhio
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By Andrew Keiper
The Columbus Dispatch

Posted Jul 8, 2017 at 9:01 PM
Updated Jul 8, 2017 at 9:01 PM

http://www.dispatch.com/news/20170708/summer-jam-west-brightens-hilltop

Laughter rises from the mingling crowd, mixing with music booming across Westgate Park and the smoke from the eclectic array of food trucks. For an afternoon, all is right on the Hilltop.
The fourth annual Summer Jam West arts and culture festival kicked off early Saturday afternoon, bringing in a diverse group of community members, artists and vendors. From a children’s face-painting tent and a local ice cream shop to a broad display of area bands, the festival hosted a bevy of Columbus offerings.
The festival is an attempt to break down the formal cultural and physical distance that make Downtown galleries often inaccessible to Hilltop residents, said Patti Von Niessen, the executive director of the Summer Jam West nonprofit.
“Being able to have art brought to them is huge,” Von Niessen said. “We’re an art desert out here. There’s virtually no public art.”
This year’s theme is “Moving and Grooving,” and, per tradition, a huge mural was painted to commemorate it. Local artist Roger Williams donated his time and talents to complete the massive 95-foot-long painting along the nearby Camp Chase Trail. Murals from years past can be found dotting Westgate Park.
Von Niessen has been a neighborhood resident since 2009, and began the organization in 2012. What started as a modest 1,000-attendee festival has blossomed to attract an estimated 6,000 this year, taking up most of Westgate Park’s 43 acres.
Brian Marcus, Hilltop resident and local artist, has witnessed the growth and positive effects of the festival over the years. His hand-drawn, psychedelic artwork decorated his vendor’s tent, which he said was meant to help showcase the creativity of the community rather than turn a profit.
Marcus was commissioned by Von Niessen’s organization to paint a panel that was awarded to a local business for quality work in the community. Such initiatives aren’t uncommon for Summer Jam West, which Von Niessen said tries to proliferate permanent art installations throughout the neighborhood.
“We keep as much of our money on the Hilltop as possible,” she said. “We try and live up to our socialist attitude, you know?”

Her hyperlocal commitment is recognized by a wide coalition of sponsors from across Columbus. The $30,000 festival is made possible by donations from Heartland Bank, Greater Columbus Arts Council, Ohio Arts Council, Hollywood Casino and Puffin Foundation West, to name a few.
Summer Jam West is a welcome change of pace for community members and local police officers alike.
Horse-mounted and K-9 officers watched as children played with the animals, a cruiser was open for kids to inspect and take photographs, and patrol officers roamed the park grounds with ice cream or fried chicken in their hands.
Brian Newsome, a community liaison officer for the Hilltop precinct, has worked at the festival for the past several years. He’s noticed the benefits brought on by the artistic initiatives of Summer Jam West.
The event, which he said has remained peaceful in years past, helps to revitalize and bond the neighborhood.
“Just trying to bring back that neighborhood feel of community, to know your neighbor,” Newsome said. “I just think all around, it makes it more of a community event.”
akeiper@dispatch.com
@keiperjourno

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Gearhearts Property Petition for no liquor license

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I myself am not in favor of a drive-thru at this location as the layout will only cause traffic chaos. I’m not too concerned about liquor as it is accessible everywhere around the school and Buckeye Ranch that the petition’s author appears to highlight. The issue really is the traffic congestion that will be caused. The W. Broad St first block corridor has become and will continue to become business preferred real estate especially if a community wants to promote and bring business to the area; after all where are you going to put it otherwise?

Personally if one community is so concerned about liquor in their neighborhood then they should just petition for the entire area to be “dry”. I would like to see all of W. Broad become dry especially extending east of Hague. Personally living north of W. Broad St, I’m sure the business would be up and running with no concern whatsoever because that is how things are done between Hague and Wilson. As a side note I especially love how the signers won’t display their name. If you don’t want to have something then back it up with your name.

Well, what’s one more liquor carryout? Stating that this establishment is too close to the school or Buckeye ranch is no different than the gas station on the corner or the carryout on N. Hague and Steel or the Julian Foods carryout further west or the two gas stations on Sullivant and S. Hague Ave. Not to mention liquor access on just about every 3 blocks east of Hague Ave. The petition is flawed for this reason and will never carry. It should have been written to make the area dry.

I post the petition link here anyway to promote their cause but again just make the area “dry” already to stop all future concerns that the primary issue of this petition seems to focus on.

http://www.thepetitionsite.com/818/457/932/please-reject-the-carryoutdrive-thru-licenses-for-the-old-gearhearts-property/?taf_id=36379005&cid=fb_na#bbfb=455772643

I post the petition link here anyway to promote their cause but again just make the area “dry” already to stop all future concerns that the primary issue of this petition seems to focus on.

http://www.thepetitionsite.com/818/457/932/please-reject-the-carryoutdrive-thru-licenses-for-the-old-gearhearts-property/?taf_id=36379005&cid=fb_na#bbfb=455772643

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Opiate Addiction License to do Crime

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Opiate Addiction License to do Crime

Ok, call me insensitive but we’ve been dealing with this opiate addiction in whatever form for decades now. As a community we’ve demanded ways to remove drug dealing from our streets. We’ve asked for tools and followed thru with those tools to assist law enforcement in tackling this menacing problem. We’ve taken pictures, we’ve created logs, we’ve created online forums and community pages, and documented the trafficking by people and by vehicle. We’ve set up networks to advise neighbors near and nearer and we are still dealing with this problem. We diligently take time to do this so that our police can do their part just to have these criminals face our criminal system just to be put back in our communities doing business as usual.

So now we have made this big humane issue of these poor addicts that need all the help we can provide them so that they can overcome their addiction as defined as a disease. So now we are saying that since they have a disease it’s okay that they robbed 5 houses on the street so they can walk to the corner drug house to get their “next fix”. It’s ok that since they have a disease it’s ok that they killed two people in an automobile accident. Perhaps it’s finally been identified along the way somewhere that you can’t incarcerate an addict in hopes of “rehabilitating” them to not be an addict when they return to our neighborhoods.

In short I see leniency towards the drug dealers so that they can continue the cycle of selling to addicts; I see empathy and compassion towards the drug users that are not responsible for their actions and therefore should not be held accountable for their crimes. So now that we’ve established that no-one is to blame, perhaps we need to look towards our doctors and pharmaceutical industry for creating three generations of people addicted to opiates, pain pills, antacids, OTC pain, and everything from staying hard to keeping pimples off your ass.

Meanwhile our communities, the victims, continually absorb the ever increasing drug trade, drug users, crime, vandalism, decay, prostitution, stealing, and finally being the absolute victims of being stuck in all this because even though with all our efforts to make a better community, we’ve condemned ourselves to living in the continual squalor, the squalor intensified by the many used needles on our streets (of course provided for by our city), the freely available naloxone (of course provided for by our city), to assist our drug addict friends, and now discussions of non-criminal offenses for this disease.

I have a disease myself, I believe you’d all call it unempathetic or non-humane. Perhaps someone can help me and my community friends by finding ways to cure this disease. I think the treatment is realizing that we are victims too, we tend to be the ones fighting up front to get help in combating this drug epidemic and although we aren’t the ones reported dead in the media, shown strung out in the streets, or showing pictures of the drug addicts families trying to recover from the loss of an addict; we seem to be the ones that are pushed aside, neglected and although thanked for our dedicated endeavors in bringing a drug dealer to trial we are rewarded by seeing them back on our streets continuing where they left off and now we feel the progression of the disease by now being afraid to walk in our own neighborhoods because that drug dealer knows who we are and although the courts had mercy on them with lenient sentences, those dealers sure won’t have leniency on us!

So pish for posh, I really don’t want to hear about those “poor” addicts who cannot control their actions without equally hearing about how we can combat the drug selling and discussing how a community can protect itself from both the addicts and the dealers.

http://abc6onyourside.com/news/local/franklin-co-coroners-office-hosting-opiate-crisis-summit

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