Serious solutions needed for problem properties
By: Connie Beckers 09/01/2007
A July 31 Star Tribune article referring to how the suburbs deal with problem tenants/properties stirred a lot of heated discussion in my circle of friends here on the Northside. We were giddy with anticipation that Minneapolis would adopt something similar, but responses from a couple different city sources claim that the suburbs were learning from the city in this regard — imagine our surprise! Minneapolis does have a system (they claim is even better) for dealing with problem tenants. According to the Strib story, if problem tenants in the suburbs have three police calls, they are evicted. That’s it. A lot of conduct issues are written into the lease and landlords tend to screen tenants with criminal record checks, as well.
In Minneapolis, neighbors must call 911 repeatedly — and we all know how this gets to be. Sometimes it’s several times in one night to get one party busted up. This has been going on several nights a week at one house in particular on our block for over two years now. We call 911 on disturbances and 311 to report the housing code violations and animal mistreatment issues, and we’ve kept all the other entities in the loop as well with phone calls and emails.
In all this time, these tenants along with the property owner received one “Conduct on Premises” letter warning them to straighten up and fly right or find another place to live. Nothing changed though. We kept calling and the police started showing up a little more, fed up with the repetition, and made a few arrests. But the property continued to deteriorate and parties, drug dealing and domestics continued and even spread as friends/relatives of this family rented other houses on the block! We had to increase our efforts by three-fold to keep up! But there was one element missing through all of this — some person or agency responsible to follow up on these issues and make sure the wheels continue to turn and the consequences for continued misconduct are actually carried out. Who’s minding the store, so to speak?
We neighbors are doing our part by continuing to report what we see. We support our community beyond our front door by volunteering and showing up at things that make a difference. We get letters to clean up our properties and we do it but how come the rental properties aren’t held to the same standards? As I understand the city model for dealing with problem tenants is that if the problems persist after the first “Conduct on Premises” letter is sent, another letter is sent ordering the property owner and tenants to devise a management plan and stick to it or there will be harsher consequences. At some point along the way, the rental license can be revoked. Indeed, one inspector raved about revoking more than 30 rental licenses already this year. Big deal that’s a spit in the bucket!
There are two things wrong with this model, from my perspective as a 24-year Northside homeowner: First, who is overseeing this process to watch timelines and manage re-inspections, etc.? How does that initial conduct letter get generated to begin with? Are we neighbors who are doing the 911 calling also supposed to know to call someone else when X number of 911 calls have been made? And second, why are there so many “chances” to improve the situation? Do the powers that be even consider what the neighbors are forced to endure in the two years or so it takes to get rid of these neighbors? They retaliate with vandalism and threats and even take bigger chances with their behavior, sometimes. Our property taxes have increased by 20 percent in recent years and the value of our properties continues to slip into the abyss. Even though the city says my house is worth this much, doesn’t mean anyone is going to buy it from me so I can make a profit and move away from this crap. Well, maybe the guy from Eden Prairie who owns the two crappy houses down our block would buy it as he seems hell-bent on turning the Northside into a slum from which he stands to profit.
My neighbors and I are interested in tightening up the ordinances that deal with rental properties. There just has to be more accountability from tenants and property owners who rob entire neighborhoods of their livability! The same standards should be applied to homesteaded properties, as well, as this is about behavior and not ownership status. Can someone advise as to how to begin this process?
Connie Beckers
Folwell