A new owner - Larry Underwood - recently purchased the property via a state foreclosure auction.
The new owner had good intentions and the financial ability to make the necessary repairs for this cool old building, but he was not afforded an opportunity to make the repairs.
Recently, Mr. Underwood spent several hours wasting his time getting the run-around from the City of Cleveland's Demolition and Building & Housing Departments.
Both city departments were giving the new owner a hard time over drawings, specs and other typical run-around BS from the city.
Mr. Underwood found at the Demolition Department that the "green card" for the certified or registered mail had never come back to them, which means nobody can prove they notified the owner.
Despite the city not being able to locate Mr. Underwood, the new owner was easily located within 2 hours.
The new owner was receptive to neighborhood concerns, immediately met with those that were concerned, and he even allowed others to tour the building with his contractors.
The conctractors and others that toured the building all agreed the building was structurally sound; however repairs were necessary due to the Stark Group neglecting the property for ten years.
Although Councilman Cummins insisted that the building was in poor condition and required immediate demolition, the condition of the structurally sound property was not in such poor condition that required immediate demolition- especially when the property was just recently purchased, the city failed to work with the new owner, and the city failed to contact the new owner regarding the upcoming demolition.
The demolition contractor complained that he has already started the remediation process because he dumped dirt in piles in the vacant lot next to the property.
The demolition contract was allegedly awarded June 21st.
According to neighbors of this property, Councilman Cummins said, " This building is coming down. I have the money."
And on July 3rd, the vicious demolition process began.
BELOW are pictures of the building which prove it was a structurally sound - solid brick building:
Despite the new owner with the financial means and desire to repair HIS property, the City and Councilman Cummins decide to NOT work with the owner and not notify the owner - prior to destroying the new owner's property:
Cuyahoga County is well known for demolishing property that is not worthy of demolition - destroying our history.
Many residents in Cuyahoga County have complained about the demolition issue and destruction of perfectly sound properties.
Many constituents of Councilman Cummins are not pleased with Cummins. Actually, they are quite angry with Cummins.
Is Cummins going to personally pay for the demolition cost and damage to the new owner's property since the new owner was not properly notified?
Or will the City or County waste all the federal demolition funds to pay for the damage to the owner AND the community?
The City and County are too damn excited to waste the MILLIONS of Federal Dollars for demoltion- designed to remove blight and NOT perfectly sound buildings.
They want to demolish everything in sight.
Apparently, the traveling demolition con artists made themselves available for Cummins:
Read more on the traveling con artist SAFEGUARD PROPERTIES who is long overdue for a nice long chit chat with the FBI here http://realneo.us/content/fbi-raids-indiana-city-county-buildings-county-land-bank-scandal-next-stop-cuyahoga-county [12]
However, property that deserves to be demolished fails to even by cited for a simple housing code violation.
Such as the property owned Gus Frangos' shell LLCs. Gus Frangos is the PRESIDENT of the Cuyahoga County Land Bank.
Doors and windows wide open - slum properties that have blighted an ENTIRE neighborhood and should have been demolished years ago get a free pass.
The county can't waste precious demolition dollars on this: ?????????????????
It would be in the best interests of the individual owner to be left alone to work with his property.
Government employees should not be using government money to work against individual property rights and entrepreneurship.
Another property DESTROYED for a damn parking lot. Thanks Councilman Cummins!
** My blogs expressing my freedom of speech rights - especially on matters of public concern- are my opinion and not the opinion of my friends, family or employer **
Links:
[1] http://realneo.us/content/004cropcropjpg-1
[2] http://clevelandhistory.blogspot.com/2010/01/about-editors-christopher-busta-peck.html
[3] http://www.clevelandareahistory.com/
[4] http://www.clevelandrestoration.org/about/board_members.php
[5] http://realneo.us/content/brian-stark-stark-group-real-estate-radio-show-does-not-pay-property-taxes-gus-frangos-appea
[6] http://realneo.us/content/006cropcropjpg-2
[7] http://realneo.us/content/007cropcropjpg-2
[8] http://realneo.us/content/009cropjpg-4
[9] http://realneo.us/content/004cropcropjpg-2
[10] http://realneo.us/content/008cropjpg-7
[11] http://www.housingwire.com/news/2012/04/02/creative-destruction
[12] http://realneo.us/content/fbi-raids-indiana-city-county-buildings-county-land-bank-scandal-next-stop-cuyahoga-county
[13] http://realneo.us/content/gus-frangos-president-cuyahoga-county-land-bank-and-his-shell-llc-properties-new-photos
[14] http://realneo.us/content/debt-collection-machine-aeon-financial-tax-liens-washington-post-coverage
[15] http://realneo.us/content/tax-liens
[16] http://realneo.us/content/mary-irene-burns-lakeview-holding-property-tax-lien-queen