COLUMBUS, Ohio — The City of Columbus is taking further action against the former property manager and current receiver of a troubled apartment complex on the city’s east side.
According to Columbus City Attorney Zach Klein’s office, officials filed a motion to add the current receiver and former property manager of Colonial Village as defendants in the nuisance property case before the Environmental Court. The move will allow the city to ask the court to hold the lender, current receiver and former property manager in contempt of a court order to improve safety, security and living conditions.
The city also filed a motion on Tuesday to hold the receivership group responsible for covering the cost of relocating residents and families to temporary housing. The property leadership has reportedly declined to cover the costs associated with relocation.
“The City is taking legal action to hold accountable those who failed to abide by the Court’s order to improve safety and security and bring Colonial Village into compliance. Now, hundreds of hundreds of residents and families are left wondering what comes next,” said Klein. “The City will continue to take appropriate legal action where necessary to hold parties accountable and require them to cover the cost of relocating families. Taxpayers should not be on the hook for the actions that result from derelict landlords.”
City and county officials have partnered with local health and human service organizations to offer resources to the more than 800 affected residents. Some of the help being provided includes housing relocation, food assistance, legal services, job search assistance and education resources.
Klein said that those with young children and those living in units in disrepair have been relocated to temporary offsite housing.
Prior to the motions being filed, Klein’s office gave the Colonial Village management company, Capstone Real Estate Services, and the lender a Nov. 10 deadline for a plan to address the issues at the apartment complex. Klein’s spokesperson said that the deadline wasn’t met and the city filed two lawsuits: one in common pleas and the other in environmental courts.
One resident gave 10TV a look at the conditions she’s been faced with since she moved to Colonial Village apartments in 2021.
She showed that her bathtub leaked anytime she ran a bath, which then leaked into the unit below her. She must cover the peeling and cracked linoleum in the bathroom with a bathmat. There’s also a gaping hole in the living room carpet below what appears to be water damage or mold on the ceiling.
A woman in one portion of the complex has taken it upon herself to help the large Haitian population that now lives in the buildings. She expressed her frustration with the living conditions at the property that some are subjected to.
“It's like... God.. it's very frustrating. Sometimes I go home and I scream. If it weren't for my German Shepherd, I wouldn't come outside,” said LaToya Bonner.
She said many of the Haitian families were put into the condemned properties and then charged a high price for rent by someone.
“When they say they're paying the rent at $1,200? $1,200? No, never that. Now that I know they don't have light and gas. I don't know what agreement they had with whoever they made it with,” she said.