UPDATE: The letter has been uploaded to Scribd and is now available. To view it, please click on the link at the end of this post.
In order to protect the rehabber's identity, I have blacked out the contact information. I have also withheld his name, as his address could easily be found through and auditor search. In this article, I will refer to him as "Rehabber".
The rehabber of an East Walnut Hills property has contacted Councilmember Leslie Ghiz, saying that the City's Department of Buildings and Inspections has given him the "run around".
In a letter dated November 13, Rehabber alleges that not only has there been widespread miscommunication within the department, but he has also be subjected to verbal threats from B&I Inspector Terry James.
Rehabber claims to have been subjected to the following:
* A $168.40 investigative fee: James filed a cease and desist stop work order because he believed that Rehabber was trying to illegally flip the property without a permit. Rehabber was cleaning out the house at the time and had previously shown rehab plans to the Plan Examiner.
* A $500 fine: After applying for permits, James' boss told Rehabber that he could begin tearing out mortar and slats, but James approached him at the job site and told him to stop.
* A $50 revision fee: The Plan Examiner kept rejecting the plans that Rehabber submitted, eventually telling rehabber that they wouldn't be accepted without and architect stamp. A structural engineer signed off on the plans and told him that B&I sometimes does that to eliminate liability.
* An abnormally long wait for plans to be accepted: Rehabber was told 4-5 days until the plans were approved. Near the end of that time frame, Rehabber was told that it would be an additional 11 days, but that he could have them the next day if he paid $250.
* A doubling of the $500 fine: Rehabber was told he could reduce the fine back down to $500 if he attended an Administrative hearing.
* A finding of fault: The hearing mediator sides with James, even though no evidence was presented. Rehabber alleges cronyism.
* Intimidation: After repeated visits by James telling him to stop work and leave the property, Rehabber asks the Supervisor of Inspections to remove James from the case. Later, Rehabber notices James driving by and poking around the property. James leaves when he is spotted.
Rehabber ends the letter with the following paragraph:
"With all of the troubles I've been having, it's easy for me to see why so many people are leaving the city. By restoring the house, I thought I'd be, in a small way, restoring the integrity of the neighborhood and the city--it's a shame that people are creating such roadblocks for me to help "better" the area."
City Manager Milton Dohoney is expected to release a report on this subject in mid-December.
Building Cincinnati
Do you have any rehab horror stories? Have you decided not to rehab in the City because of it? Do you agree with Rehabber's assessment of the City's bureaucratic climate?
Please comment below!
Read the entire letter on Scribd
