Latest news with #propertyowner
Yahoo
24-05-2025
- Yahoo
Landlord of house in Baker-Donora neighborhood speaks out
LANSING, Mich. (WLNS) — The owner of a two-apartment property where police conducted a Tuesday as part of an ongoing is speaking out. The property owner, who asked not to be named because of concerns related to her ability to travel back to her home country of China, says she notified police about alleged drug activity and began working with them in mid-February – a month after she agreed to rent the property to a brother-sister duo. Identities, charges of most in May 20 raid unknown The rental agreement was signed on Jan. 23. Within weeks, she says neighbors were complaining about increased foot traffic to the second-floor apartment and people she referred to as 'homeless' exiting and entering the property as well as staying there. She provided 6 News with text messages from the Lansing Police Department Special Operations Division. 6 News has removed the identity of the renters, who have not been charged with any crimes, and the identity of an officer from the department. LPD Assistant Chief Eric Pratl declined to confirm the authenticity of the text messages in an email to 6 News on Friday. 'Any such communication would be part of an active investigation and LPD will not release or comment on it,' Pratl wrote. '[The landlord] is free to share her messages, but from those screenshots, I cannot confirm the authenticity.' City officials confirm that the property was red-tagged on Tuesday night because the basement had been flooded with sewage backup. The 68-year-old woman tells 6 News that she was eager to address what she says was drug trafficking. She says neighbors, including the tenants in the downstairs apartment, had been calling police. An increased presence of police patrols occurred, but still, the comings and goings continued. The brother and sister also began to block her entrance to the property. She says she called for police assistance to investigate a higher-than-normal water usage at the property after receiving a call from the Lansing Board of Water and Light advising her to check it. The tenants stopped her from entering. Police said it was a civil matter. In another instance, she was able to walk into the property and found it full of people smoking, and a man and a woman in a side room, partially unclothed. The rental of the property to the brother and sister was done because the landlord says the duo provided her with a sad story. She says they claimed a series of health issues and a need to assist each other. She admits she was 'incompetent' in vetting the couple and renting the property, and says she also lost money on the rental of the two-bedroom apartment. She rents it out for $1200 a month plus $200 for utilities. As 6 News reported on May 20, the property properly certified as a rental under Lansing's Housing Code. She admits that's accurate but notes the story is more complicated. She says she changed inspection dates and meetings with Lansing Code Compliance officials. The reason? She was caring for her ailing husband who has since died. City officials confirm portions of her story. 'The property owner paid to have a rental inspection done on Sept 13, 2023. She canceled and rescheduled several inspections over the course of nearly 6 months,' Scott Bean, city spokesman, wrote in an email to 6 News. 'When it was finally inspected on Feb 28, 2024, there were several safety violations noted, and she was ordered to make repairs. She then claimed she was unable to access the property to make any repairs due to the tenants. At this time, the property does not have a valid rental certificate.' City records show she was sent a 'failure to register' violation by code officials on May 16. The property was red-tagged on May 20 when police reported to code officials that the basement had been flooded with sewage backup. She reports that the furnace and hot water heater have to be replaced due to damage from the sewage backup as well. Following the May 20 raid that resulted in 9 arrests, the property was red-tagged, but it didn't stop people from returning. On May 21, the landlord and code officials called police back to the property to remove people who were inside. Two people were removed from the home, handcuffed, and transported away by police. Only one person has been identified as facing charges from the raid. Mikhye Bowers, 24, a resident of Lansing and was charged with resisting and obstructing police, with a case pending in district court, Ingham County Prosecutor's Office Scott Hughes tells 6 News by email. A second arrest tangential to the raid and investigation was also made on May 20. Paul Mollett was arrested after he was identified by undercover officers watching the property in preparation for the raid. He was wanted on a failure to appear bench warrant. After he was arrested, police say he was found to have meth, and was charged in 54-A District Court for possession of methamphetamine. While the property was red-tagged, and was required to be secured to prohibit entry — Lansing Code Compliance did not do so. 'This was done at the request of the property owner. She informed Code that she was going to properly secure the property as soon as possible,' Bean, the city spokesman, tells 6 News in an email. 'As she was being very cooperative, she was allowed to make it secure herself and not incur a board-up fee.' The landlord tells 6 News she asked that the property remain open so it could 'air out' from the sewage in the basement. After people were forcibly removed from the property on May 21, she paid someone one to screw the doors shut. Within hours, two men, she says, arrived and used a screw driver to allow them to enter the property. When she called Lansing Police to report breaking and entering at the property, the officer refused to take a report. LPD Assistant Chief Pratl says officers determined 'no crime had been committed,' and therefore there was no report filed. She had to call police again on May 22, later in the day, when she discovered more people in the red-tagged property. Once again, police made a determination that no crime had been committed, and no report was created, Pratl tells 6 News. She says she is frustrated that law enforcement didn't move more quickly to end what she says was drug trafficking activity. She notes that code compliance officials can send a property owner a notice for an accumulation of trash or overgrown grass and demand correction within 7 days. 'Now you're telling me it takes three months to get rid of the problems in the community,' she says. 'Are they more severe in terms of the quality of the community than the grass?' Ultimately, she feels like she took the action of a responsible citizen and reported what she believed to be criminal activity. She says she participated in the investigation, providing information and support to the LPD Special Operations Division. But now, without support to keep people out of her red-tagged property, she feels disrepected. 'I'm the victim here. I'm reporting the crime. I'm helping the police officers to keep the community safe. I should be praised,' she says. 'I should be elevated, not make me feel that I'm causing trouble, and I'm the one that is the troublemaker instead of those that broke into my house.' She says she is speaking out because she wants to raise awareness about the harm drug sales and criminal activity are doing to the community. 'The thing about it —the thing is that if, if the people live in that community, if those people live in the downstairs of my apartment and suffered the same thing as my tenants suffered and suffered the same thing as my neighbor suffers,' she says. 'Would they do something about it?' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
BBC News
14-05-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Mayfair owner told to restore historic home after banned refurb
The owner of a listed 18th Century townhouse in London's Mayfair has been ordered to destroy an unauthorised basement, and told to restore original features removed during a refurbishment. Westminster City Council said the extensive alterations, which involved altering ceiling heights, were denied planning permission, but completed regardless. The owner of the property, estimated to be worth around £5m, appealed the decision, but was not successful. The owner has been approached for comment. A planning application was submitted by the owner for the works in 2010, but it was refused after the Planning Inspectorate deemed it would harm the building's "special architectural and historic interest".However, in 2020, the council discovered that the owner had ignored the ruling and had excavated the existing basement to create a large sub-basement council said it also discovered that historic features such as panelling and fireplaces had been removed. Westminster City Council said the entire new sub-basement must now be re-filled. The space currently houses a cinema, gym and sauna. The owner must also reroute services such as electrics and plumbing and restore fixtures and fittings to their original listed status. It is thought the cost of the works, which was given a 12-month deadline for completion, will run into hundreds of thousands of pounds. Labour councillor Geoff Barraclough, Westminster City Council's cabinet member for planning and economic development, said: "I hope this outcome sends a clear message: those who ignore planning rules will be held accountable."It is simply not acceptable to carry out works that have been explicitly refused listed building consent."Barraclough said the owner showed a "complete disregard" for the historic significance of the property and the council's added: "We remain committed to safeguarding Westminster's unique architectural heritage."
Yahoo
14-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Sidewalk encroachments could cost you
HONOLULU (KHON2) — Sidewalks with gravel, trees, large boulders or even concrete are a common sight in residential areas. According to the Department of Planning and Permitting, the space between the property line and road is called the unimproved sidewalk area and the property owner is responsible for it even though they don't own it. Judge denies bail for doctor accused of trying to kill wife It's a lesson one Hawaii Kai homeowner is learning after getting a notice of violation in the mail on April 30 for unauthorized gravel in the planter strip. The homeowner asked not to be identified. 'We've been here like over 30 years and then nothing ever happened. Nothing has never been mentioned, but suddenly we got that letter so it kind of freaked out,' the homeowner said. 'If it's gravel, what's wrong with this gravel?' According to DPP, four other homes on that street also received said gravel is generally not permitted because it can create a hazard or interfere with storm water drainage. However, the property owner may apply for a surface encroachment authorization request to get an exemption. Without an authorization, the gravel has to be removed. The standard ground cover is lawn grass. Just about everything else is considered a surface encroachment including: Rocks and boulders Fruit trees Paving and concrete for parking Thorny plants like cactus or bougainvillea Download the free KHON2 app for iOS or Android to stay informed on the latest news DPP said they don't go looking for these things, they are 'complaint driven.' And it doesn't matter how long ago the changes were made. Without an authorization, they are in violation. Real estate broker Kasandra Shriver said that's often where the confusion lies. 'So it's just really about making sure that you know where your property lines are, and you appreciate that while you're responsible for certain areas, it doesn't mean that it belongs to you,' Shriver said. 'You can't do anything there.' Missing dog reunited with owner on her birthday Homeowners are given 20 to 60 days to return it to its original state according to the Hawaii Revised Statutes. The law also specifies that if homeowners do not return the area to its original state within the allotted timeframe, the city will do fix it themselves and send the homeowner the bill for the service. Shriver said the best thing to do is contact the city if you ever get a notice. 'I imagine if you need a little extra time, that they would be willing to grant you that extra time,' she explained. 'I think it's the folks that don't respond that stick their heels in and say it's been this way. So I'm going to leave it this way. That will have the most issues.' An application for an authorization costs $200 and can be done online. Click here for more information. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
