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City rental crackdown picking up momentum
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Maureen O'Neil, Rental Property Registration Administrator
YOUNGSTOWN
The city’s crackdown on landlords who haven’t registered their rental properties is slow going, but there are good reasons for that, its rental-property registration administrator said.
More importantly, the city is seeing an increase in the number of registrations from property owners, said Maureen O’Neil, the program’s administrator.
“Our goal is not to fine or penalize people,” she said. “Our goal is to ensure that properties are safe for tenants.”
The city has registered 1,880 landlords who own about 3,700 units, O’Neil said.
When the city announced the crackdown Sept. 29, about 1,500 rental-property owners had registered.
Those who didn’t register by Oct. 6 could have faced weekly fines of $100.
“We are seeing proof of [the program’s] importance on a daily basis when we confirm that a landlord has improved their property, which is the goal of the program,” she said.
The rental-property department has completed 320 inspections since the program started Sept. 7.
“We do every inspection and deal with every renter and landlord on a case-by-case basis,” O’Neil said. “This is time- consuming, but we believe it is the right thing to do.”
The city is working with landlords who register and are agreeable to fix the problems at their rental properties, she said.
“Many of these properties have multiple repair issues,” O’Neil said. “It is impractical, however, to expect the owners of these properties to make all of the repairs immediately. Our office has taken an approach that rewards landlords who show continued improvement to their property.”
The city program requires rental-property owners to pay the city $20 per unit for an annual license after a safety inspection. If a property is a multifamily dwelling, the first unit is $20, and each additional unit in the structure is $15.
Federally subsidized properties are exempt because they’re already inspected by a government agency. Also, inspections aren’t required on vacant properties.
The owners of 19 properties were sent notices in the past week about the fines. Also, 22 other property owners will receive letters about the fines shortly, O’Neil said.
Ollie Mae Peterson of Elm Street received letters demanding $100 weekly fines each for two properties she owns, one on Elm and the other on Lansdowne Boulevard. The fines will increase weekly unless Peterson registers the properties with the city.
Refusing to pay the fines and the registration fees will result in landlords’ being taken to court.
Peterson, 77, said she is ill and trying to sell her rental properties.
“I rent my properties, and the renters tear them up,” she said. “I can’t afford to pay the city for rental properties when the renters don’t pay me. I’m in a bad situation. If I had the money and people paid their rent, I’d pay the city, but my renters aren’t paying and I can’t afford it. Nobody wants to let their property go down, but I can’t control my tenants.”
O’Neil said she’s spoken numerous times to Peterson urging her to register her properties and the city would work with her on a timetable for repairs.
McCarthy and Lois Hayes of Elm Street also were mailed letters with $100 weekly fines each for two rental properties they own on Elm.
Both said they’re not aware of the rental-registration program and didn’t know they had to pay an annual fee.
Everyone who received letters for the $100 weekly fines were previously mailed at least one notice about the required registration, O’Neil said, adding that the program also has received much local media attention.
“Ignorance of the law is no excuse,” she said.
Comments
Ron Eiselstein is one of the biggest tax deadbeats in Mahoning County one check on the Mahoning County Clerk of Courts website. under his name shows hundreds of lawsuits and unpaid liens for taxes. This is the kind of scum that should not be allowed to own property in Youngstown
Ron Eiselstein has 50 records of lawsuits on the Mahoning County Clerk of Courts website, all but one in which he is the defendant. Many are judgements for money that remain open. He owes money to the city of Youngstown for demolition in the thousands according to the Clerk of Courts website.
He is also affiliated with Firepearl, which has 20 records listed, again as the defendant, and many are judgements for money that remain open.
Aside from numerous tax LIENS under his name. He also has many listed under this name Caraga Ltd.the following pages from the Ohio Secretary of State shows his name as the statutory agent.
3210 SOUTHERN BLVD
YOUNGSTOWN, OH 44507 USA
Mail Information
CARAGA LTD
3210 SOUTHERN BLVD
YOUNGSTOWN, OH 44507 USA
http://www2.sos.state.oh.us/pls/portal/P...
This link shows the secretary of state info
http://www2.sos.state.oh.us/reports/rwse...
Numerous tax liens under that name are listed here
Some back ground on Ron:
Aside from his shrimp farms scheme, which by the way he's looking for investors.
I realize Ron must be upset at me for exposing his facts. But they are, what they are, court records
VINDY ARTICLE
YOUNGSTOWN — A magistrate rescheduled the sentencing date for a Youngstown man found guilty of a first-degree misdemeanor for cutting trees without the city's permission. Magistrate Anthony Sertick Jr. of Youngstown Municipal Court on Wednesday postponed the sentencing until next Wednesday for Ron Eiselstein, 46, of Fifth Avenue. Eiselstein pleaded no contest Nov. 27 to harvesting timber without a permit and was found guilty by Judge Robert A. Douglas Jr. Eiselstein cut trees on an East Side property in October with the owner's permission, but without a city permit to harvest timber.
Also Wednesday, Eiselstein was arraigned in Mahoning County Common Pleas Court on a fifth-degree felony theft charge. He is accused of cutting down trees without authorization in August from a Boardman property.
RON ALSO OWNS PROPERTY IN TRUMBULL COUNTY
One of Ron's tenets on prperty he owns in Warren
GLEN HARPER, 43 YEARS OLD, WAS ARRESTED FOR FAILURE TO REGISTER AS A SEX OFFENDER. HARPER WAS ARRESTED ON LOGAN AVENUE, WARREN, OH. WITH THE ASSISTANCE OF THE WARREN POLICE DEPARTMENT.
HE DOESN'T CARE WHO HE RENT TO
I realize Ron must be upset at me for exposing his facts. But they are, what they are, court records
Please follow the links and you'll stay away from any project that he's involved in
“I rent my properties, and the renters tear them up,” she said. “I can’t afford to pay the city for rental properties when the renters don’t pay me."
I hear ya Ollie . The fact is that the city doesn't support the landlords one iota ! The tenants need your rent money to pay for their street medication . Illegal drugs are a huge part of Youngstown's economy and money talks . Your contribution is paltry compared to the drug wealth spent in the city .
I feel for landlords. If you rent a nice property and your rent tears it up. You can try and evict them. It will take a while because they have rights and you don't. Also expect them to be calling hud or city government on you every day complaining about the things they destroy. If there on HUD you have to fix it while you are trying to evict them. Yea saw it happen they kicked open there own front door because they locked them self out. Didn't want for maintenance to come and let them in. Refused to pay for it ether hud made the landlord fix it right away.
If you wonder why i am so ain't handout. Understand i did maintenance for section 8 apartments for 6 months.
There are many tales of woe by the landlords of Youngstown . Unless you have an attorney on your staff and lots of disposable income from other sources you will be taken to the cleaners !