Sachwitz: I live in the neighborhood and appealed this because we think it is
incorrectly designated and should be a Category 2 Vacant Building as designated in
chapter 43. As Inspector Neis went through, there have been multiple accounts by
inspectors to get into the property and denied. Leaking up to the July orders, we
observed July 10th the inspector came and didn’t even enter house to fully digest the
exact interior issues. The exterior noncompliance pieces were mentioned in the order,
but we think that with the revocation order it gives the property owner the time to get all
of that stuff done on exterior but nothing addressed on the interior. This has been
owned by them for 20 years, and they also have multiple properties in St. Paul,
including on Summit. I understand minimal code compliance is a D-, which isn’t hard to
meet. Yet the only reason they’ve done anything to the property is because of
correction notices and complaints put in. We don’t have a lot of faith the landlord will
invest in the interior as they should. IF it is a Category 2 Vacant Building it will require
trade inspectors to go in and do a full inspection of the property. Why would the City
not define this as a Category 2 Vacant Building?
Moermond: I want to roll back a couple things. Re-occupancy would mean the entire
house has been inspected by Fire Inspection. Mr. Neis, how does that play out in
practice?
Neis: the inspector has the discretion on how they categorize the building. The home
cannot be reoccupied until fully inspected by one of our certified inspectors. When we
have a situation where the owner is actively seeking resolution, a tenant who damaged
interior, it is standard practice to give the owner a reasonable time to get it back into a
habitable state without going through the full Code Compliance Inspection. If you
applied Category 2 threshold to every vacant building in St. Paul, nearly every building
may meet that classification.
Kustriz: I just found out about this hearing yesterday. How is it the appeal works? How
did this person---I’m just curious. They seem to know a lot about me, but I know
nothing about them. These are pre-Covid tenants. I won’t even pretend they were great
tenants. Government agencies wanted to keep them there. It is a difficult situation to
be in. Do I like how they lived? Not necessarily, but they’ve been there a minute and
its hard. The process to get a tenant out isn’t easy in Ramsey County. I’ve tried to do
what I can within my legal right as the owner. She definitely had some SMRLS
assistance. Once this chain of events happened we put the heat on and complied with
getting the out. As far as getting it back habitable, I know how the inspection process
works. I know 100 percent we can’t reoccupy and get a new tenant until it is certified.
Not one inch of that place isn’t getting touched. We’re redoing floors, painting the
exterior, replanting grass. Again, I don’t know anything about that person and it feels
personal they went and did their homework on that. You have my assurance it is being
handled and we are going to be done within 45 days. Longest 60 days. We told the
inspector that was the case and were prepared for that. I have talked to a lot of the
neighbors, including the one behind that house, who may have friends interested in
renting. That’s how you build a good neighborhood. Everyone wants affordable housing
but with that comes some character sometimes. I did my best. I worked with the
tenants. I worked with the government agencies helping them. In the end we did get
them out. It was difficult. We’re going to be 100 percent complaint.
Moermond: it is public information, I don’t know how it was learned, but for this
process it is beside the point. The restoration of relationship will help this in the
fullness of time. Mr. Farrow?
Farrow: I’ve lived here 40+ years. The neat, well-kept neighborhood except for this
house which has been an eyesore for over 20 years. Even before the current owner.
We are looking for an opportunity to bring the neighborhood up to a standard we all
appreciate. That’s why I’m here to register my feelings.
