The tale of Two – THE HOW-Supporting Cast

Original Image Scott Bakalar

Part One– https://thatwoman.wordpress.com/2017/05/11/a-tale-of-two-city-houses-downing-of-quality/
Part Two– https://thatwoman.wordpress.com/2017/05/13/a-tale-of-two-continued-lorains-cast-offs/
Part Three – https://thatwoman.wordpress.com/2017/05/16/a-tale-of-two-a-tale-of-woe-lorain/
Part Four- https://thatwoman.wordpress.com/2017/05/22/a-tale-of-two-the-who-the-how-why/
January 2013 Photo Lorain 365
Let us just have a quick reminder of the facts of 3620 Clifton.
Sept- 2012 Inspections galore prior to getting a search warrant to inspect the “inside and outside of the property The Health Dept., the Fire Dept and the Building Dept. inspections all agreed , it “constitutes a severe safety and health hazard to the community”.

January 4th 2013– The property came before the Demolitions Board of Appeals and all members present including the councilman Eddie Edwards for the area concluded it was a hazard, dangerous, and eyesore open to the elements filled with trash and vermin….

REMEMBER THESE PHOTOS OF JANUARY 2013 ( Lorain 365) AS WE CARRY ON DOWN THE ‘WAY OF THE 3620″

Because, after the glad handing all around and agreement this property should come down gave way to the “Duo of Will Do – Mr.Barbee and Mr. Johnson who owed at that time $431.00 in back taxes (twice what they paid for the property ) and to date they NEVER HAVE paid taxes

So in the months and yes it has been YEARS this property has been “dithered about the ” Duo of Will Do” DIDN’T and now well $2,964.19 OWED. How is this happening ??? well!!!! you might ask.

Mr. Joseph Barbee and Nathanial Johnson (Duo of Will Do) came before the Demolition Board of Appeals a week after their initial decision of January 4th 2013 to “take it down” and cried have pity pity please. And for 13 pages of testimony on that January 11th 2013 day . I have linked those pages at the end of this post. READ IT AND SEE HOW THE SYSTEM FAILS US-
Chief Brown ( who had to recuse himself) Derek Feuerstein ( Chief of Staff) who tried to pin them down the “missing in action Howard Goldberg ( Prudoff’s Community Development ) and Rey Carrion who pleaded their case very well the cast of characters all of whom had their say and they wanted a “plan” as to how the “$17,000 committed to the project would be spent-
Derek Feurestein at one point asked

DF- Can I ask a question does it really make sense to buy a house for $200?
N. Johnston – Because anything can be fixed- if it was a hazard why would you sell it like that ?
D.F We {City of Lorain} didn’t sell you the hazard – It was the COUNTY AUCTION)

ED> Note AH HA!!! and another character has entered into the story of 3620

Richard Klinar ( Chief Building Inspector was also at the meeting) also stated : The time frame on permits and inspections are controlled by the State of Ohio- the City of Lorain has nothing to do with it we can’t shorten or lengthen

Another cumbersome character the State of Ohio
The Duo of Will DO had a credit card limit of $17,000 for the property
and even Richard Klinar had his doubts
“Just a comment , I find it hard to believe you can replace , electrical , plumbing, heating , roof , siding, windows, doors, drywall and insulate for $15,000

I would have chimed “WHAT ABOUT THE FOUNDATION ISSUES” but by that time you could tell the way this was going the 2nd 2nd chance for the property known as 3620 Clifton As I sat in the audience that day hearing Ralph Cantu (Building Inspector) ask as we were leaving

” I don’t know why you people {bloggers} are so hard on George (Schneider) ( who had also been at the meeting appealing one of his “portfolio of properties coming down) he is such a nice guy!

NOTE TO SELF – maybe a building inspector should be required to inspect properties not like or dislike the property owner.hmmmmmmm

BUT the end result of that meeting the demolition was put into abeyance for another week………… and then from Lorain 365 blog who covered this property from the very beginning …

“It is my understanding that the owners of 3620 Clifton presented an acceptable plan to the Board and will have to bring proof of progress to the next meeting on February 28th.
I will be there.
The work started

Photo Lorain 365
The only way the Building Department knows if these serial second chancers are completing the work to code is if they report back to say the work is done and request an inspection. The Building Department can only drive by and look at the outside of the house from the public sidewalk or an adjoining property (with the owner’s permission).

As long as the outside looks good and the house is secure, there’s nothing else the Building Department can do unless they are invited inside by the homeowners. That needs to change. Stop the repeated prostitution of problem properties in Lorain. Break this vicious cycle before it completely breaks this city for good. It’s time, Lorain.

The pages of testimony
doc into
Doc1
Doc2
Doc3
Doc4
Doc5
Doc6
Doc7
Doc8
Doc9
Doc10
Doc11
Doc12

And four years later

To be continued………………

A tale of two – a tale of woe – Lorain

Original Image Scott Bakalar

Part One– https://thatwoman.wordpress.com/2017/05/11/a-tale-of-two-city-houses-downing-of-quality/
Part Two– https://thatwoman.wordpress.com/2017/05/13/a-tale-of-two-continued-lorains-cast-offs/

In our quest to find how Lorain’s housing stock in the 44052 went from this for example ( sold for $100,000 in 2005)
(photo Auditor’s site)

to this in just 12 short years

Photos Councilman Dennis Flores – 1939 Lexington
ED Note a visit to Mr.Flores’ Face book page as he walks his ward is worth a visit – ( rose-colored glasses a requirement for those that get depressed easily)
https://www.facebook.com/dennis.flores2

In that 12 year period we had Craig Foltin (R) for Mayor and a couple of appointed mayors eg. Romoser filling out the last weeks of his term as Foltin left for more lucrative climes, Mayor Krasienko (D),(2008-2012) and current Mayor Ritenauer (D), 4 Safety Service Directors 3 (Community Development Directors ( that department segued into Building Planning and Housing) BUT the common denominator is and was the Building Dept. and inspections.

Foltin – Building Inspectors department came under the direction of Bill Desvari who was told to be nice ( see file Broke Homes- Chronicle Telegram) brokehomes

I won’t go into the legal issues faced by Desvari the Chief Building Inspector or even the legal issues of S/S Miller, and the serious legal issues of Krasienko’s S/S Director – Robert Gilchrist or the fact the long time Community Development Director Sandy Prudoff went to jail in that period.
What I do know for sure down spouts have been seen as an important , very important code enforcement issue. https://thatwoman.wordpress.com/2015/02/01/ode-to-a-downspout-named-don-lorain/
I have to wonder why the dangling downspout at 1939 Lexington didn’t receive the same “inspection process” 😉

However, Lisa Miller and Lorain 365 has been on an “inspection process” of her own concerning 3620 Clifton
Part 1 https://lorain365.com/2017/05/12/3620cliftonavenuepartone/ 1 /13/13
Part 2 https://lorain365.com/2017/05/13/3620-clifton-avenue-part-two/1/19/13 and now we have the third in the series as Lisa revisited the “home” six months after the concerns of the Demolition Board of Appeals
Part 3 https://lorain365.com/2017/05/14/3620-clifton-avenue-part-three /6/16/13

“Since then, 3620 Clifton Avenue has never been mentioned in the newspaper again. I’ve gone by there a few times over the past couple months, but never stopped to take pictures because nothing had changed. When I went by there two weeks ago, I surprised to see that the houses on either side had been demolished recently!
How long does the City have to let this go on? Are the owners now caught up in the cycle of permit perpetuity? As long as there’s a permit in the window, the City will continue to watch from the sidewalk

Last Sunday Lisa and her camera revisited the “home” 4 years after that initial “inspection” of the 2nd , 2nd chance given to 3620 Clifton
Part 4 https://lorain365.com/2017/05/15/3620-clifton-avenue-today/ and they put up a parking lot – well not exactly it has just morphed in to “yard parking – and maybe the city inspection process was marred by the tree being in their line of sight.


There is a reason we have still got this lovely property .

I requested a public records request for information and documentation that followed this property and the poster child of 1348 West Erie from the city . It should be noted I received the information all 80 odd pages of it within hours , can’t complain about that efficiency.

Next up the talk the talk that enabled this fiasco……….

to be continued……

3620 photos Lorain 365 https://lorain365.com/

A tale of two- continued Lorain’s cast offs

Original artwork Scott Bakalar

Part ONE – https://thatwoman.wordpress.com/2017/05/11/a-tale-of-two-city-houses-downing-of-quality/

The tale of woe that has become Lorain’s deplorable housing , especially in the 44052 and 55 didn’t get where we are today by accident. So many years citizens, council people , newspapers and yes ‘Bloggers” pointed out there were situations needing to be followed through.

Multi- property owners going in 4 years from 34 properties to over 300 and the majority in poor condition, proofs those same people were trading properties back and forth to dump them ( so as not to be the registered owner when the Lorain Building Dept. came to call – the process had to start all over again. ). Then the “bank” dumps , unreachable predatory property LLC -majority being out of town- and so many reasons compounded to make the system broken BUT we also have ourselves to blame!

But first let me introduce you to Lorain 365 – Lisa Miller https://lorain365.com/ who wrote about one of the properties back in 2013 – in fact this property is the one we will be focusing upon — Let us start at the beginning: I was introduced to 3620 Clifton by Lisa on a winter’s day in January…..

Once upon a time in the Lorain

3620 Clifton Avenue – Part One
3620 Clifton Avenue – Part One
As Seen In Lorain: 3620 Clifton Avenue and the second chance
Posted on January 13, 2013 by Lisa

“Even though it was noted by Demolition Board member, 5th ward Councilman, and neighborhood resident Eddie Edwards that “Before the sale, the house sat empty for about five years, with its doors and windows open and generally falling apart…” and “The new owners also waited a year before taking action to repair it…” AND the Board went out to see this house for themselves AND took the Fire Chief with them AND talked to the unhappy neighbors – the owners have $17,000 and a plan and that was enough for the Board to grant them a second chance”

ED Note you will see

in the Lorain 365 post this was the original state of the home and was sold to the owners for 200.00 and it just gets better from there – this and the following post is a MUST READ, even if you just look at the photos included.

And then Part Two – a week after the first post as Lisa revisited the property that needed a roof and a few other things to stop it from being demolished .
3620 Clifton Avenue – Part Two

ED NOTE: However the one thing that always worried me ‘WHO IN THEIR RIGHT MIND ALLOWED THIS CARBUNCLE OF A TWO STORY ADDITION ON THIS LITTLE SLAB HOUSE IN THE FIRST PLACE!!! I am not an engineer or architect but to put this “weighty” two story addition on a one story slab home, “a cabuncle on the bum of pre blight” was not a well thought out “plan” – even I know this was so wrong and not just from an atheistic viewpoint.

3620 Clifton Avenue – Part Two

3620 Clifton Avenue – Part Two
As Seen In Lorain: 3620 Clifton Avenue and the second second chance
Posted on January 19, 2013 by Lisa

As Lisa questioned at the time 4 years ago :

I am amazed that this house, which has been inspected and re-inspected by TPTB (and then some), was deemed worthy of a second chance. Sitting exposed to the elements for at least five years, sold for $200 to two guys who let it sit untouched for two more years (sale date January 2011) – it meant nothing to anybody until the city came knocking with the wrecking ball

To be continued………..

Photos Lisa Miller – Lorain 365

What is their story and the story tellers- Lorain

I have lived in this old neighborhood of Lorain since we purchased our “starter home”- it will hopefully be the home where we “finish up”.
I know a few facts about the people who lived here through the 1/2 century before we became its caretaker. I certainly hope that someone will enjoy this home after we are gone BUT I don’t hold out much hope the way things go in Lorain.

too many examples to show…. this is the latest poster child 3620 Clinton and YES! it too has a story.

Local bloggers, council people such as Dennis Flores,
https://www.facebook.com/search/top/?q=dennis%20flores%20city%20of%20lorain%202nd%20ward%20councilman
have been trying to fight the blight of non enforcement of building codes for years. They have tried the name it and shame it until there were just too many to name. The outing of mega landlords with 300 such properties and those that followed him in his “business” plan. I went to housing court and another story. https://thatwoman.wordpress.com/2015/10/22/housing-court-and-you-lorain-continued/

However recently Lisa Miller of Lorain 365 Blog – (a blog https://lorain365.com/ that photographs the good and sometimes quirky in Lorain every day) posted a picture of a little building on Colorado Ave. Lisa , had her curiosity tweaked by the name on the top of the little building . “Giuseppino”.

I remember another “version” of that building from when I first came here. The building was right next to the Royal Canadian Legion ( no longer there) It was getting a little jaded even then but still someone still cared . This is how (with the help of picmonkey https://www.picmonkey.com/ ) I remembered this little building – original photo Lisa Miller.

The building changed hands through the years and at one point looked like a facsimile of what I remembered – this photo from the Lorain County Auditors site
and now of course Lisa’s photo of this week – SIGH

Lisa followed through researching the story behind the name on the building

http://wp.me/p1Rd8f-4Pt

A tornado memory – revisiting the Giuseppino 1924 building

This name and date stone turns out to be a memorial
to a 9-year-old boy who was killed in the 1924 tornado.

A family member reached out:
“That building was built by my Grandfather, Sam Garbo.
It was constructed with salvaged bricks after the tornado.
That stone, in fact, does say Giuseppino and is the child you reference.
His parents were Sam and Josephine Garbo, My Grandparents.
-Susan Garbo”

My genealogy search had ended with one Lorain connection,
a deceased 9-year-old child named Giuseppino Garbo. No relatives were listed.

Update 4/29/17:
Reader and contributor Rick Kurish picked up the search:
“You are on the right track in the research of this building. The nine-year-old child, Giuseppino Garbo, who is buried in Calvary Cemetery, is associated with the building. Giuseppino (English version Joseph) Garbo lived at 311 Colorado Avenue and was killed in the Lorain Tornado of June 28, 1924. He was buried in the children’s section of Cavalry Cemetery on July 1, 1924. While the grave marker lists the Italian version of his name, the cemetery records list him as Joseph Garbo. The marker also indicates that he was killed in the tornado. He is also listed in the Official Souvenir and Memorial Book of the Lorain Tornado, under the heading “Killed in Lorain Tornado”, as Joseph Garbo, 9, 311 Colorado Avenue.”

Much thanks to Rick and Susan for helping to fill in the blanks of Giuseppino’s story.



The Scold – Lorain- the ducking/cucking stool

Time, people and trials in this town have left me in a sort of out here alone on a limb mode of thinking – the last of the “scolds”

Oh! I know there are others that share my thinking but could it be they are afraid of the “ducking/cucking stool ” which censors our opening of our mouths ( locally and nationally)? As if the bad mouthing, concrete crashing Neanderthals weren’t enough of a deterrent.
https://thatwoman.wordpress.com/2016/03/10/windows-on-lorain-the-neanderthals-a-tornado-history/
I have seen it too many times over the years of advocacy and I seem to have come away from those years half drowned ,soaking wet and getting more and more weary of trying – life here can do that to you. So I now find myself walking away, not raising the volunteering hand – and have left most of the “community” – I just don’t fit in .

As I “escape” from Lorain and the world into the realm Roku watching murder, mayhem and mystery I supplement with programs such as “Escape to the County” and the land of my birth where there are still pockets of the idyll and people looking to find their dream in the country.

It was during one such viewing this morning and the town of Leominister
http://www.leominster.co.uk/ and the story of Jenny Pipes (1809) the last woman to be legally ducked. She pronounced a “scold” by her community and the magistrate passed sentence

“In the common law of crime in England and Wales, a common scold was a type of public nuisance—a troublesome and angry woman who broke the public peace by habitually arguing and quarrelling with her neighbours. The Latin name for the offender, communis rixatrix, appears in the feminine gender and makes it clear that only women could commit this crime.
….. being placed in a chair and submerged in a river or pond. Although rarely prosecuted it remained on the statute books in England and Wales until 1967.
Francois Maximilian Misson, a French traveller and writer, recorded the method used in England in the early 18th century:The way of punishing scolding women is pleasant enough.(ED NOTE spoken like a true man )

They fasten an armchair to the end of two beams twelve or fifteen feet long, and parallel to each other, so that these two pieces of wood with their two ends embrace the chair, which hangs between them by a sort of axle, by which means it plays freely, and always remains in the natural horizontal position in which a chair should be, that a person may sit conveniently in it, whether you raise it or let it down. They set up a post on the bank of a pond or river, and over this post they lay, almost in equilibrio, the two pieces of wood, at one end of which the chair hangs just over the water. They place the woman in this chair and so plunge her into the water as often as the sentence directs, in order to cool her immoderate heat.

Jenny Pipes came back from her ducking still “scolding” and her claim to fame of telling it like it was has outlasted the magistrate. http://www.jennypipes.org.uk/

“the idea of ducking was to curb the tongue of the offender; the ducking to continue until the culprit either gives up or was exhausted”

Of course where there is a pond there is also pond scum and “ducking the scold” does disrupt that “gathering and rising to the top” if only for a little while. I have noticed the pond scum usually multiplies!

I have seen the “cucking stool” happening (metaphorically speaking) locally so many times and THAT Lorain is one of the problems and the why the view we have is of this (rehabbed????) “cottage”
March 2017

and the duckers can’t say they weren’t scolded for 4 years from that first demolition appeals board.
June 2013

https://thatwoman.wordpress.com/2015/02/10/dye-abolical-goose-gander-inspection-process-pt-2-lorain/

Source- https://jonkanekojames.com/2015/05/13/the-cucking-stool/

To those who have been ducked, and lived to walk away and tell the tale _ you will be missed by those that got wet with you

-to those that have returned to the bank of the pond to join the crowd – it is understandable-

-to those that keep trying -may it only be your feet getting wet…..

for those of you still “piping up’ like Jenny Piper and facing the wrath of the duckers and the chair I will have a towel waiting for you and a different sort of chair in front of the TV!

When Vision is “cloudy” Property Holding LLCs- NY TIMES

“It” was the Icon House of West Erie and for the Point of Sale poster child- No one would go through POS to buy this house !

A great deal has been written about this house on this blog and elsewhere

Morning Journal Headlines

Lorain house sets record with $45,750 escrow requirement by R. Payerchin June 2014 – we are now in 2016 and end of August

http://www.morningjournal.com/general-news/20140620/lorain-house-sets-record-with-45750-escrow-requirement

And from that article where a real estate agent was bemoaning the Point of Sale

“It appeared the home at 1348 W. Erie Ave. could have an escrow amount that is more than the house is worth.

The home is owned by the Federal National Mortgage Association, commonly known as Fannie Mae.

The Lorain County Auditor’s Office puts the market value at $85,210, but the home’s last listing price was $36,000, said Ken Myers, the real estate agent who last had the house for sale.

Callers interested in the house don’t understand how it can have a listed sale price of $36,000 and a city repair requirement of $45,750, Myers said.

“It’s not wonderful in any sense of the imagination,” Myers said. “We have properties we can just not sell now. Everybody just walks away because nobody wants to put that kind of money in a house in Lorain.”

NOT every body walked away except the owner at the time Fannie Mae Mortgage… No! it was purchased February 2015 from Fannie Mae for “0” dollars apparently

Sale Date: 2/3/2015
Sale Amount: $0.00
Conveyance: 2015090327
Grantor: FEDERAL NATIONAL MORTGAGE ASSOCIATION
Grantee: KAJA HOLDINGS 2 LLC

and there in lies the rub- as Kaja had been on my radar as “buying” up homes in this “old neighborhood” and selling… SORRY leasing to own ….these properties – even our 1348 West Erie Home with another of those handmade signs-

I won’t bore you with regurgitated information you can find the “rest of the story here !
https://thatwoman.wordpress.com/2015/09/17/the-follow-up-a-tale-of-two-houses-city-council-loraine/
https://thatwoman.wordpress.com/2015/09/11/the-housing-court-and-you-lorain-part-one/
https://thatwoman.wordpress.com/2015/10/22/housing-court-and-you-lorain-continued/

and here
https://thatwoman.wordpress.com/2016/04/07/plump-lady-plummets-and-the-housing-trip-continues/
where the “new ” attorney for Kaja in this area (presumably) is Mr. James White- who did clarify that Vision/ Kaja were not affiliated (professionally speaking) with Harbor Portfolio, the Property Company that featured heavily in the New York Times article in February-

I reached out to Mr. White a few weeks ago to see what was happening with the property at 1348 W. Erie and he stated :

Several of the violations to the exterior have been repaired. The City’s required escrow to perform the repairs has been deposited with an escrow agent with repairs to follow.

Well some good news on the 1348 house apparently but not so good news for Kaja and Vision Properties.

The New York Times and their investigative journalists ALEXANDRA STEVENSON and MATTHEW GOLDSTEIN published another hard hitting article about the blurring of the lines between landlords, renters, and the right to own ( well sometimes) the American dream or perhaps nightmare.

Remember this just isn’t a Lorain County problem these “businesses” are popping up everywhere there is a problem with mortgage dumps and the “federal connection”

.( Nearly half of Vision’s homes were bought from Fannie Mae, the government-backed mortgage firm, according to RealtyTrac. NYT- Article below)

The focus of this particular article is Vision Properties , buys homes spread across 24 states through nearly two dozen limited liability companies, all with different names like MI Seven, OH Seven and Kaja Holdings.

I would suggest looking at the video- in the article and reading thoroughly – because Lorain, we are “part of the business” and business seems to be expanding.

Another blue house – 1038 -4 blocks down from the Kaja Icon house – historic in nature – being that it was one of the Porter Ship Captain’s homes) is now owned by Princeton Commercial Holdings LLC
Sale Date: 11/17/2015
Sale Amount: $0.00
Conveyance: 2015095351
Grantor: BAYVIEW LOAN SERVICING LLC
Grantee: PRINCETON COMMERCIAL HOLDINGS LLC

I can’t believe it passed Point of Sale in November seeing that the windows are broken and boarded – especially since we have such strong ordinances as with boats and morning glories 😉 but who knows- I certainly haven’t a clue anymore as to “code of enforcement????
https://thatwoman.wordpress.com/2016/08/09/municipal-manipulation-lorain-e-again/

Zillow listing just under $45,000 ( now off the market – apparently- don’t say it SOLD!!! NO please not that………
photo source Zillow

http://www.zillow.com/homedetails/1038-W-Erie-Ave-Lorain-OH-44052/34535192_zpid/

SHHHHHHHH don’t tell these companies that “rolled roofs on dwelling is “legal in Lorain” cause we are already singing the blues……….

An open post to City of Lorain- The History of Frustration

This post actually started out as an email to City Council members but like the housing situation we find ourselves in and lack of accountability it too became too much and unwieldy- no one was going to read through it.

Photo Source – City of Lorain
There are any number of reasons Lorain finds itself in the housing position we are in today:

Mayor Koziura 1996-2000( now Council at Large) tried, along with then Building Inspector Mr. Murphy, to reign in the deteriorating homes and buildings in Lorain and lawyers 😉

https://thatwoman.wordpress.com/2013/07/09/the-pos-and-nuisance-ordinance-a-lesson-in-history/

This did not sit well with the mega landlords ( at the time ) and they supported Craig Foltin for Mayor .

There was , imho, a let us appease those who are “squeaking” the wheel in 2005 – see article Broken Homes from the Chronicle – when a number of us went before Mayor Foltin and Mr. Desvari stating the deteriorating neighborhoods.

brokehomes which “chronicles” the situation. I re – chronicled the issues in May 2012.

https://thatwoman.wordpress.com/2012/05/01/lorain-oh-broken-homes-broken-people-just-plain-broke-part-two/

The then Building Inspector Bill Desvari , himself on charges before he died , gave token action to the problems .

Desvari’s most recent legal problems began in 2008 when Lorain police launched an investigation into his dealings as head of the city’s Building Department.

He was placed on leave in February 2008 as police probed complaints about problems with homes in the King’s Woods subdivision. That investigation expanded to include allegations that Desvari allowed an unlicensed cement contractor to operate in the city in exchange for the contractor doing work on Desvari’s Columbia Township home.

Desvari was indicted in July 2008 on charges dealing with the contractor and allegations that he failed to complete inspections and require permits on homes in New Century Village.

Another round of charges were brought in 2010 against Desvari that centered on two $5,000 loans Desvari received from men his attorney has described as friends. Prosecutors contend the loans were actually bribes.http://chronicle.northcoastnow.com/2012/08/06/former-lorain-official-dies-while-awaiting-trial/

We then had the Sub Prime Mortgage Crisis 2008 , for Lorain and “property procurers ” this gave them a huge “feeding frenzy” with very little controls from local government.

You have anecdotal situations brought before the media and City Council – the sound bites of frustration. We have had council people literally venting their frustration at meetings. AND although everyone seems to be on the same page with “doing something to stop the rot and turn around the older neighborhoods” for the most part hands are tied

The situation , imho, has become laughable , when even a junk car next to a church and in a neighborhood becomes “Where’s Waldo” ( the trashed car) How many weeks did this take only to have it moved to another junked property around the corner so to speak ?
https://thatwoman.wordpress.com/2016/05/20/don-the-downspout-says-lorain-in-a-fix/

The Art Car

We have any number of people “playing the system” ( judicial)the cost of doing business a mere fine and not having to abate issues.

There are so many of these situations , they are too many to document The whole system is broken because of a lack of respect, ( which can’t be legislated), lack of accountability ( which is not accounting for much) , a city with a declining job market and one of the biggest businesses in town – the rental business making profits don’t take my word for it Kent Sutton one of Lorain’s mega landlords and LELA members was quoted affirming the fact :

“We simply assure housing providers that they{LELA MEMBERS} are running a business not like any other business,” Sutton said. “The housing should be kept up to some condition of the neighborhood.” http://www.morningjournal.com/article/MJ/20120618/NEWS/306189973

The frustration of City Council Members , The Administration, ( and yes the Judicial, hamstrung by ineffective fines , time lines and legal lalala speak is clear – the frustration is spilling over in the neighborhoods and City Council floor as there does not seem to be a simple fix.

We have tweaking of our ordinances so that lawn mowers ( as seen from space) does not become an everyday occurrence because there was loophole in an ordinance that brought this one iconic situation before housing court for the past FIVE YEARS. .

http://www.morningjournal.com/general-news/20160523/lawn-mower-legislation-under-review-in-lorain

The cry is we need jobs!!!! Let us look at that

When a Corporation/employer looks at a community in which to relocate they look at Infrastructure, School system, housing etc.

http://www.forbescustom.com/EconomicDevelopmentPgs/CorpRelocationCurrentTrendsP1.html

What is the answer to our tale of woe……. well here is a clue :

that they- [ ED. NOTElandlords/ mega property owners} are running a business not like any other business………………………….

TO BE CONTINUED