Agenda Packets - 1997/06/23 - Laserfiche WebLink

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City of Mounds View Staff Report �+ Abatement Order for 2091 Hillview June 23, 1997 Page 2 • In July, 1996, the warrant was served on Mr. Agboola, and he was arrested. After being arrested, Mr. Agboola plead guilty to the charges and received a $350 fine and a 90 day suspended sentence. He was also required to correct the violations indicated by the City. During this same time, the tenants had filed a lawsuit (see below). Due to the tenant lawsuit, the City told the court that they would adhere to the conditions set forth by the Housing Court judge in that case. In the meantime, staff contacted Attorney Bob Long to determine what our next step should be. He stated that we should contact the owner, schedule another inspection giving the owner less than a week to make the repairs and placard the building if the repairs were not made. Another inspection was conducted and it was determined that the violations had still not been corrected. In May of 1996, staff placed placards on the two vacant units to prevent occupancy. Tenant Remedies Lawsuit During the City's civil process, the tenants were encouraged to call Legal Aid to pursue corrections of the hazards. In May, 1996, Attorney Gerry Kaluzny with St. Paul Legal Aid, assisted the tenants in filing a suit against the owner and a court date was set for June. After hearing the case, the judge gave the owner two weeks to repair the violations in the basement in a "workman-like" fashion. Upon reinspection it was determined that many repairs had not been made or were not corrected properly. At the next court appearance, the judge was informed of the reinspection results. He ordered Legal Aid to find a suitable administrator to manage the property and make the repairs. • Legal Aid selected Parliament Company as the administrator. Staff met with Steve Parliament in July to walk through the building and evaluate the repairs needed. In August, Gerry Kaluzny, Steve Parliament and staff appeared in court to discuss the time line for repairs to the building. Mr. Parliament had spoken with a representative from Ramsey County, and it was determined that Parliament Company could secure a low-interest loan to pay for repairs if Mr. Agboola's was willing to sign the load papers. This was agreed upon by the parties present as a suitable way to correct the code violations. Mr. Parliament informed the Court that they should be able to begin on September 15 and be finished by October 15. Unfortunately, after a significant amount of time, Mr. Agboola would not sign the appropriate paperwork to secure the loan. In February, 1997, Gerry Kaluzny filed a order with the Court to find Mr. Agboola in contempt because he did not comply with the Court's order to sign the loan agreement. At this point, the Court authorized Parliament Companies to maintain the property and sign the loan application on the owners behalf. However, the loan was denied due to the financial status of Mr. Agboola. Current Status On June 6, 1997, once again, city staff conducted a thorough inspection of the property and entered all four units. Attached is a copy of the Housing Inspection Report Form detailing the Housing and Building Code violations which still exist. The majority of the items listed on this inspection were originally cited in December, 1995, and the condition of the property has • deteriorated further. According to the tenants, maintenance items have not been addressed in