Activists Butch Palmer and Lori Davis have filed Magistrate Court claims against two Harrisburg landlords, alleging their properties are neighborhood nuisances and seeking to recoup costs from bringing a consultant to town last month to talk to the city commission's Chronic Nuisance Properties Ordinance committee.
Palmer's claim, for $15,000, is against Joe Smith, the owner the building where Mercy Ministries runs a day shelter for the homeless and other outreach programs for the poor. Davis' claim, for $5,000, is against John B. Weigle Jr., the owner of a rental house at 223 Eve St., which has been the subject of three protests by the Concerns Citizens of Harrisburg group.
The group picketed outside the house itself in a Fourth of July march against drug dealers and absentee landlords, then, in September, outside Weigle's Forest Hills home and outside his workplace at Dawson Taylor & Co. on Wheeler Road, where he sells insurance.
"Based on county nuisance and abatement laws," Davis's complaint says, "he should have taken care of these issues which he has been unwilling to do. The (Richmond County Sheriff's Office) has had excessive calls to this property. The property is also a known neighborhood drug house."
Palmer's complaint says Mercy Ministries has been renting the commercial building at the corner of Crawford Avenue and Fenwick Street since 2007, and "during this period of time, crime and continued calls for police service has (sic) increased to the level of unacceptability.
"Mr. Smith has been unwilling to discuss how to help solve this problem," Palmer wrote. "The behavior of the vagrants has become a nuisance to the neighborhood."
A suit represents one side in a dispute. Once the complaints are served on Smith and Weigle by the marshal's office, they have 45 days to file a response.
Davis said last week that the total cost of bringing nuisance ordinance expert John H. Campbell to Augusta last month was around $8,000.
Palmer said in a story published in The Augusta Chronicle on Sunday that the $15,000 includes the $1,500 he donated toward Campbell's fee, and the rest of the sum is from his rental property losses caused by the perception of crime in the neighborhood.
Davis said today that she could not comment on the suits, though she said last week that she and Palmer were filing them to either force change in the neighborhood, or to demonstrate that change can't happen without the city adopting a new nuisance ordinance. Davis is an appointed member of the committee drafting the new code.
"It's time to let due process take its course," she said today.
Reach Johnny Edwards at (706) 823-3225
You go Lori and Butch!!!
And Lori PLEASE consider running for mayor. We desperately need someone with your tenacity and initiative.
It is about time someone brought a suit aganist these 2 people. I was at the protest. I live in Harrisburg. I have seen these places at all hours of the night and day. Something needs to be done. Way to go Lori and Butch..Keep up the good work. Lets clean up Harrisburg and maybe the other communities in Augusta/Richmond County will start working on getting their neighborhoods cleaned up. LET'S TAKE BACK OUR NEIGHBORHOODS.
I agree that something needs to be done, but is it the landlords' fault? If the buildings meet required codes, itsn't it the responsibility of the police to maintain law and order? What is a landlord to do other than assure the property meets applicable codes. If the landlord tries to be selective in who he or she rents to, they will be in violation of the law. The city building code people need to enforce the codes and the police need to enforce the law. If they don't, that's who Butch and Lori should be suing.
Grinder, it's not the landlords fault that he rented to people who are destroying the neighborhood, but it his fault (the worst landlords anyway) that he refuses to help the neighborhood abate the problem. Too many of these landlords have thumbed their noses and said "They pay their rent. So what?" After two or three years of trying to get help from these landlords and getting nowhere, this is the only recourse that exists right now. A CNPO would make this problem a lot easier to solve before it gets to this point.
Grinder. You have a point.. This article says that the Eve st rental is a "known neighborhood drug house". There are several of these "houses that completely surround 401 Walton Way.
???????When ARE the cops going to bust these KNOWN DRUG HOUSES???????
Some have been around as long as 25yrs as KNOWN DRUG HOUSES. So the cops knew about them all along.. This resulted in folks getting killed. When you see the cops riding around in their cars let them know they have blood on their hands and it ain’t gonna wash off. When the landlords like me tried to get the drug dealers to go away the drug dealers called their cop friends and the cops, NO KIDDING dented my penthouse door up beating on it with the back of their flashlight at 5 in the morning to roust me out of bed and warn me NOT to BOTHER the drug dealers anymore. FACT, Every time you pay your property taxes they use this money to protect the drug houses and harass the property tax payers. We have it ON VIDEO.
And since we are on the subject of how your tax money is used to hurt you I called the Tax Collector’s office to ask them to stop handing ALL PROPERTY TAX PAYERS valuable personal information out to all the ID thieves all over the internet. When I asked why they didn’t credit my taxes I had already paid the guy in the tax office said I would have to call back. I asked him what his name was and he REFUSED to give me his name. I asked for a printout of the taxes I had already paid (in the thousands) and he hurriedly hung up the phone. This from the same office that left their safe wide open with $25,000.000 hanging out of it, then turned off all the cameras and security on a long holiday weekend. When we can’t even get a NAME out of your tax paid, when the tax paid defend the drug houses, when the tax paid roust a landlord at 5 in the morning just to warn them NOT to BOTHER their DRUG DEALERS anymore, something is ROTTEN at city hall and I’m not talking about their breath either.
Redirect your tax back from hurting you as now back to helping U.S as claimed.
Join the National Taxpayers Union.
PS Maybe we should all start paying our taxes in pennies so it will be harder to tote off the NEXT $25,000 the Tax Collectors office leaves laying around like they do..
We need to license rental property so that if problems occur, the license can be suspended. If a person depended on rental property for a livlihood, that would get their attention quickly. Everybody else in business here needs a license.
I agree, with Flipa,to a point. How can "known drug houses" continue to operate? The problem is the level of evidence must high enough to warrant arrest. You almost have to catch these people in the act. In Harrisburg the drug dealers have a better neighborhood watch than the citizens do.
The CNPO will provide a way to rid the area of these people by using civil statute rather than criminal statue.These crimes have a lower threshold of provability.
One other thing, to say the cops are not doing their jobs is not entirely correct. I beleive I heard that police responded to these two properties over 200 times combined in the last 18 monts. So they are coming when called, the issue is should these people continue to be allowed to abuse the system and their neighbors this way?
This is a clear cut case of people sick and tired of their situation and surroundings and doing something to make positive change in Augusta. Hats off! Gangbangers next?
Finally, someone who has the courage to stand up for the safety and well being of the people in their community. All you other folks out their in other communities and subdivisions could take a lesson from Butch and Lori! Taylor B hit it the nail on the head, Gangbangers should be next. Take a stand people!
Sometimes it takes regular citizens to spark change. After watching this case unfold in the media these last few months, and also knowing it's been brewing with these particular landlords for two years,it seems as if they (Lori and Butch) had no other alternative. When those who own these properties continue to make money at the expense of decent people in the neighborhood, something has to be done.
At last, some real action! Way to go! Let these slumlords have it with "both barrels".
Do you want real change? Don't sue the landlords, sue the tenants.
John Weigle sells insurance, huh? If the man can't handle his own property, then how can I expect him to handle MY insurance needs? Is he more interested in just taking in more money and not taking care of business/doing the right thing? Doesn't look good for the company he represents either.
DAMY46.The tenant doesn't own the property, the landlord does. If I'm not mistaken all that can be done against the tenant is for them to commit a prosecutable act(then law enforcement steps in) or have them violate the terms of the lease, at which point the owner of the property can evict.
just continue to put their "business" in the street.. the tenants AND the "land"(slum)lords.. I've been kind of a back seat supporter for a while, but now it affects me personally as my family has recently moved into the neighborhood.. take pictures and post them on the internet.. send them to RCSD, call dispatch at every opportunity (706)821-1080, and don't be afraid to give your information to them for follow-up.. it's worked for my corner of olde town so it couldn't hurt in Harrisburg
Man, this Harrisburg stuff just will not go away. I wonder what the mayor thinks?
alsway.The problem is these landlords refuse to evict. They have said,and I quote,"As long as they pay the rent ,I ain't doin' nothin'". This tells us that they care more about money than they do about the neighborhood. You'll not find a more ardent capitalist than me, but when you put your pocketbook above the greater good you are a leach. Pure and simple.
Frank I is right, and don't forget to ask the responding officer for a Case #. Very important.
I just wonder how John Weigle will feel when his property is used for a meth lab- and has to be condemned.
yes Corp, documentation is the key.. and Brad, perhaps some pressure will force his hand to find out.. I'm on the opposite end of the CBD, but have the same interests as Harrisburg for Olde Towne.. there are some parts that are doing fine, the main corridors so to speak.. but if you live on the mid streets (like Ellis), you're kind of forgotten about...
Good luck to the Harrisburg crew on their fight to regain their neighborhood. Government leaders should be out front on this and begin the process of condemning these properties for the public good.
I wonder if Weigle can Wiggle and Smith can Slither out of these! My bets is that they can--because there is nothing on the city or state books that specifically deals with this. There is nothing that holds landlords' feet to the fire. This will prove that we need the CNPO to deal with this kind of landlord negligence. Sic 'em Butch! Sic 'em Lori!
From what I've been told, the Sheriff's department is facing the same problems we have been with these drug houses. The A-RC drug lords, because they have no legitimate job, have a better "neighborhood watch" than we, who have legitimate jobs, do. They can be on the lookout 24/7 with paid "runners" and "lookouts" who use scanners, push-to-talk cell phones, and other means to alert those that have the drugs well ahead of the Sheriff Department's arrival. When they get there, the evidence has been disposed of or hidden well away from the place where they do business.
I wonder what happened to the Brink's Armoured Nuisance Abatement Truck that Sheriff Strength was going to look into outfitting some time back? I think having this monster video truck would work well in hand with the CNPO. This is the link that tells about the truck: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB125046098403135197.html
I was at the rally too. I've driven by 1841 Watkins in the morning and have seen these reprobates drinking alcohol in the front yard, in full public view. This is the residence that Cliff Channel's employee Rachael Rabitsch owns and obtains $1080 per month in rent. Gees, I wonder how they make that kind of money, drink at all hours, and still make the rent? Of course, WE know.
The landlords are not responsible. The city must enforce ordinances and building codes and the police must enforce the law. While it may be "nice" in a touchy-feely world for the landlords to lend a hand by doing "whatever", the fact is that they have no responsibility to do so. So sue the city and the RC Sheriff Dept. There is no legal basis for suing the LLs so it's a waste to do so. (Also- appears this atricle posted in 2 places with comments on each)
I do not think that anyone is against helping the poor if they try and help them self. But it is not the place for the business. This is a neighborhood and children and old people (home owners) live here. Would you want this building in your neighborhood,would you let houses like some of the ones that are rented out to drug dealers and beer drinking ,not working ,lazy people in your neighborhood. We as home owners would like to walk our streets and feel good and safe. We would like to park our cars and not have it damaged in front of our houses or places where we work. We have a right to these things. Let the Channels and the Smith , the other landlords have these places in their neighborhood.
25 Yr old crack houses COMPLETELY SURROUND 401 Walton way. When the cops are called out to little old ladies who are holding off hardened crack heads from stealing their chain link fence for scrap metal, and the cop looks at the crack head, does not get the crack heads name or ID, makes no effort to search the crackead, does not do Ronnie’s REQUESTED field report, does not even file for a search warrant, does not alert vice, something is ROTTEN in Denmark. It if looks like a duck...
flipa....You have a point but I think that the corruption is VERY organized and wide spread.
Brad, The Mayor is very familiar with this professionally made sign that reads "CLOSE (KNOWN) DRUG HOUSES, NOW!" Please everyone , if you are on FB add this badge to your FB profile pic: http://www.picbadges.com/close-known-drug-houses/20183/?trackingId=-2535...
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