COLUMBUS, Ohio — An apartment complex on the city's east side is facing multiple contempt motions filed by the City of Columbus after continued code violations and lack of security.
Paxe Latitude, the owners of the Latitude Five25 Apartments on Sawyer Boulevard, reportedly violated multiple terms of a May 2022 order, which instructed them to bring the property into compliance with safety and code violations, according to the City Attorney Zach Klein's office.
The city filed contempt motions to impose sanctions against the owners. According to a release, residents at Latitude Five25 have gone without electricity, hot water and elevator service and have endured flooding and the accumulation of trash throughout the property. The utility bill also recently went unpaid by management, which cut the power to the building.
“We want to work with property owners to ensure residents have a safe, clean place to call home, but continued violations of the terms of the court order and failing to meet the basic human needs of tenants forced the City to step in to protect residents,” said Klein. “We will hold any and all landlords accountable for failing to maintain livable conditions for their residents.”
“Code Enforcement and other city agencies have provided the necessary data and information that has allowed the City Attorney to file these motions. The residents of Latitude Five25, our community members, deserve a safe and clean place to live,” said Scott Messer, Director of Building and Zoning Services Department. “The city will continue to partner with the City Attorney to do everything possible to force this landlord to provide safe and clean housing for our neighbors.”
The city filed a contempt motion in August that alleges Paxe Latitude violated the May 2022 entry by not having personnel onsite or decreasing criminal activity.
Consequently, The Columbus Division of Police was called to the property multiple times in recent months for instances of gun violence.
If the owners are found in contempt, the sanctions could include:
- Being required to produce a maintenance and capital improvement assessment conducted by a third party,
- Being required to produce proof of current payment accounts to all maintenance, utility and service providers,
- Being ordered to post a bond with the court as well as pay a fine both for an amount not less than the total of three months of maintenance, utility and service costs.