found it boarded, screwed shut. Why would you damage people’s windows? This is a
terrible process. Call and ask for a key. I attempted to talk to Daryl immediately, who
never returned my call, at which point I talked to Leanna on Monday who said it was
already too late.
Shaff: the complaint came in on the 18th of the month. It was 2 weeks before we were
out there. Mr. Prince your message to me stopped abruptly when inspector chute had a
conversation. When we did get to talk, it was already referred to the Vacant Building
program. You told me before that in the message that he was calling you back.
Prince: right. He did call me back eventually. It was Monday the 4th, not Friday the
1st. He said he found it unsecured and sent to Vacant Building. I asked him why he
didn’t reach out to me? I’ve worked with him on multiple occasions.
Swartwood: he’s called me up many times to work with him. Utilities were still on.
Prince: the retaining wall, the first we heard about it was the orders on the 5th or 6th in
the mail. That’s the first I’ve heard of any issues there.
Moermond: the whole thing starts July 18 when a neighbor calls it in as being vacant
and having a broken-down retaining wall. Staff checks it out July 31. Complaint based
inspections they just deploy staff. It sounds like it was vacant, and it was open to
entry. That finding was from 2 staff people. You’re saying it was a turnover in tenants,
inadvertently left open.
Swartwood: he had just left with a load of stuff.
Moermond: Mr. Swartwood, you’ve dealt with this enough and know how many fires are
set in Vacant Buildings. I don’t believe there was any malice on the part of the City.
Was it legit vacant and open to entry? Yes. How do we get from here to where we want
to go, that’s what we’re talking about.
Prince: we’d be happy to get the property back and make the corrections and get it
re-rented. We certainly don’t like it was left unlocked but, it isn’t common for someone
to leave the house unlocked when they go to the grocery store.
Swartwood: remember, these are immigrant that are coming in, not familiar with our
customs and mores.
Moermond: no. Nice try. No.
Swartwood: they were Ecuadorian.
Moermond: does it seriously matter? Are you saying that if someone is from Ecuador
they don’t understand how locks work?
Swartwood: they are different. They are farther behind than we are. They don’t
understand how toilets or sinks work.
Moermond: they don’t have toilets and sinks? And they’ve been here a while and
haven’t figured that out? Oh Mr. Swartwood.
Swartwood: they’re hard on stuff, that’s all. They don’t speak our language.
Prince: because they have a large family they don’t necessarily always all have keys.
They aren’t always locking their house, and that is true. They have six or seven adults;
we give them one key and tell them to make copies, but they don’t. So, they come and