The Observation Deck

Thanks for posting a picture, Lori.

It's clear that there are open windows on the first floor. That is a danger because teens can easily enter the home. I am shocked and disgusted that the city would allow this as it would be a terrible liability to the city should someone be injured on the property and they did not enforce their own codes.

But why am I not surprised?

Bridget Conant wrote:I am shocked and disgusted that the city would allow this as it would be a terrible liability to the city should someone be injured on the property and they did not enforce their own codes.

But why am I not surprised?

Bridget,

It is too simple for the Summers administration to simply enforce laws as they are written. Apparently, a small minority of people on the Deck are not the only ones growing frustrated with the state of many of Darren's flip properties. Recently, the amount of calls to police from neighbors for issues with Darren's properties have been increasing. For example, neighbors have called around broken windows, abandoned equipment, wide open doors, and you name it.

As I have stated before, I have been considering purchasing a house on Darren's cul-de-sac in Strongsville, butchering it, and leaving it sit for months and months.

Better yet, I should purchase a home directly next door to or across the street from any of the following individuals, butcher the house, leave it mostly boarded-up with one window open, and abandon it and see how long I get away with it:

Mayor/Public Safety Director Michael P. Summers
Any member of Lakewood City Council
Jay Foran
Ken Haber
Virtually any member of BuildLakewood or Summers & Extended Co.

If I purchased a house next door or across the street from any of the above individuals, butchered it, and then abandoned it, how long would I get away with it?

Bridget Conant wrote:
It's clear that there are open windows on the first floor. That is a danger because teens can easily enter the home. I am shocked and disgusted that the city would allow this as it would be a terrible liability to the city should someone be injured on the property and they did not enforce their own codes.

This house is also near an elementary school. I think of poor Alianne Defreeze when I see properties like this. This is a nuisance property and should be treated as such.

Kate McCarthy wrote:

Bridget Conant wrote:
It's clear that there are open windows on the first floor. That is a danger because teens can easily enter the home. I am shocked and disgusted that the city would allow this as it would be a terrible liability to the city should someone be injured on the property and they did not enforce their own codes.

This house is also near an elementary school. I think of poor Alianne Defreeze when I see properties like this. This is a nuisance property and should be treated as such.

The property needs to be secured. We have building codes that require it.

Why isn't the city enforcing existing codes?

Must we wait for a tragedy before action is taken?

Several years ago, I received a correction notice from the city for painting my house. We were dealing with a family member with a terminal illness, but, we did deserve the notice.

We did it ourselves. The city gave us a time frame in which the work had to be done. That summer, we had a lot of rain. We ended up needing another week or two , due to rain, to finish.
The inspector was extremely rude and told me that they did not notice any rain in Lakewood. Really? They basically were nasty and rode our asses until the work was done. The work needed to be done, but why, if the job was almost finished, did I have to put up with a sarcastic, caustic city employee? We do pay their salaries.

Why then, has Summers and the building department allowed Darren to drag out his multiple projects with no sense of urgency? Why have these projects been stretched out over more than a year with the job sites left in extremely hazardous condition?

Remember the chummy picture I posted at the beginning of this thread of the Mayor, Darren and his wife? What is going on between city hall and this man? Why is he allowed to conduct business in Lakewood in this manner and never see a day in court? I allege that something with this relationship is not on the up and up.

Mr. Summers, how about you post on this thread yourself, instead of sending your Deck Watchers and explain your relationship with this man.

Special Relationship Between Darren & Summers Found?

On August 13th, 2016, Relief Properties Inc. wrote a check in the amount of $500.00 to the "Lakewood Voters for Progress" PAC that endorsed Issue 64 last election. A reminder that Relief Properties Inc. is actually "Darren Buys Houses". Darren is the registered agent, incorporator, and owner of Relief Properties Inc.
This does not appear to simply be circumstantial. This was not a simple $25, $50, or $100 given at a fundraiser. This was $500. I would say that this was perhaps Darren's "ticket" to free rides on keeping his worksites clean and safe. Then again, Darren appears to have been getting a "free ride" on keeping his worksites clean and safe since his arrival in Lakewood in late 2014/early 2015. This was right around the time that the hospital debacle started.

Then again, maybe I'm wrong and all of this is just another coincidence.

Just an update on Darren's house-flipping follies. First, I want to express that I admire Darren's desire to repair old properties in Lakewood. Nonetheless, this does not excuse Darren's apparent habit of buying up homes, ripping them apart, and leaving them sit for months and months, oftentimes for over a year.

Specifically, his problem projects, in my opinion, are Cannon Ave. and Marlowe Ave. Darren originally purchased the Marlowe Ave. property in December 2015. This is now the second year that Darren has been working on this property. Meanwhile, the home has sat vacant, and has been the subject of numerous police calls by neighbors. While some minor progress has been made on the house recently, the sidewalk has had a large hole in it for over a month, and progress recently seems to have come to a standstill. See photo below of sidewalk:
The other problem property on Cannon Ave. is two doors down from a city employee. This project has been especially problematic, having been boarded-up for several months with seemingly little to no work being done, not to mention the large dirt pile in the front yard. This project has also been the subject of several police calls. See photo below:
The goal of this post is not to attack Darren or his business. Actually, I fully support flippers in Lakewood if they follow all applicable laws and complete work in a timely fashion. However, it is my opinion (and apparently the opinion of some neighbors) that Darren's habit of not completing work in a timely fashion actually creates more blight, and attracts thieves and squatters. I understand that Darren appears to be friendly with Mr. Summers and Lakewood Voters for Progress (see above campaign donation). That is his right and I will not criticize him for that. However, I hope this apparent relationship is not buying him the right to not follow building codes. I think we can all agree that laws should be applied equally.

There is a flip down the street from me, and so far (fingers crossed) the workers have been wonderful, and have been doing work in a quiet, clean, and timely fashion. In my opinion, Darren should take lessons from them.

Actually, my problem lies mostly with City Hall. They do not appear to be making Darren follow any kind of rules or time constraints.

In summary, this is what I am looking for:

1. Completion of Darren's projects in a timely fashion (e.g. a few months, not years).

2. Cleanliness of Darren's worksites (e.g. no equipment or debris left lying around unnecessarily)

3. Enforcement of all applicable building codes and time constraints by City Hall (making Darren follow the same laws other contractors do)

See below attachment for all police calls to Darren's worksites.
The bottom line is: would others get away with buying up numerous properties, ripping them apart, and leaving them sit for months and months and sometimes over a year? I think not.

Darren has owned his "flip project" on Cannon Ave. since 4/14/16. That is over a year ago, and look how far he's come with the project:
Amazing, the dirt pile is still there from last year!

This is actually a serious matter. Not only does a property left in this condition for so long blight the neighborhood, but as I have said before, it also attracts squatters and thieves, especially when you have an unsecured basement window:
Plenty of room for animals to get inside.

More than anything, it is the principle of the matter. From the evidence posted on this thread, it can be assumed that Darren is being allowed to drag his feet on these projects because he appears to be a friend of Mr. Summers, and donated $500 to the Lakewood Voters for Progress campaign. Very few other contractors get away with this, and Darren should not either.

and donated $500 to the Lakewood Voters for Progress campaign

I don't mean to distract from the main point of your post here Lori, but I am always shocked at the suggestion that a politician can be bought for $500. Mike Summers can accidentally find $500 in his belly button. Is that really how it works? I see stuff like this about the U.S. congress too. Is it really so cheap?

Todd, no. It does not work that way. $500 is chump change and doesn't buy anything. Not from anybody. Politics doesn't work that way.

This photo of Darren's project on Cannon was taken within the past few days. Do you see any difference from the above photos taken in June?
According to public records, Darren's permits for this project expired in June, over three months ago. Why has this not been renewed?:
Also notice the second page of this permit. It appears that no inspections of this property have taken place whatsoever:
Meanwhile, Darren appears to go on his merry way, purchasing more houses when he is not even close to being finished with what he has started. He has recently bought two more homes, one on Sloane and another on Bunts.

I do not buy the story that this is normal when houses are flipped. A company recently flipped a house on my street. The workers were great. The work site was clean, the house was secure, and the project was done in about three months. Meanwhile, Darren has gotten this far in 17 months with his place on Cannon. It took him about 21 months to complete his project on Marlowe (which was almost always a disaster).

Let's face the music folks, I highly doubt anyone without connections to City Hall would be permitted to keep a property in this sad state for this long. Most of us would be in court if we tried this.

This house on Cannon, viewable from West Clifton, looks no different today than a year ago. It is a big, hulking boarded up mess.

No average resident of the city would EVER be allowed to let a house sit like this for OVER ONE YEAR. It is a nuisance and an eyesore, yet no citations have ever been issued.

In keeping with this theme of privilege and protection for those associated with this city administration, it’s notable that the property currently has THREE Bullock campaign signs decorating the lawn.

How appropriate - Tom Bullock all over a ghetto house!