Glen Terrace Owner Fails To Begin Repairs
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
John Call, the owner of condemned Glen Terrace Apartments, Walter Way, Warsaw, failed to comply with Warsaw building inspectors yet again. Call is scheduled to appear at the Warsaw Code Enforcement Hearings July 17.
Only two weeks ago, the complex was on its way to compliance with city codes.
Warsaw Building Inspector and Assistant Building Commissioner Pam Kennedy condemned the last two buildings of the complex June 21. Kennedy, fire safety inspector Michael Wilson, building commissioner Gene Oliver, representative from USDA Rural Development Dan Hughes and Call, Syracuse, met June 23 (along with Warsaw Fire Chief Matt Warren, Indianapolis housing coordinator John Young, USDA Rural Development manager Enzley Mitchell, Indianapolis) to discuss construction plans for the 40-unit complex.
At the meeting, Call said he was concerned with the fire separation violation, which triggered the condemnation. He brought plans to the meeting illustrating each step the engineer would take to solve the code violation. Call also said he has plans to paint the buildings and clean out the gutters. Call told the building department that he hired Ben Niles, Syracuse, to do most of the work.
But Call ran into an obstacle two weeks ago. Former management firm Sterling Management still had possession of the keys to the units, although they had already moved out of their on-site office. Call said Sterling Management claimed to still be the managers until July 1, even though Call terminated their employment and has since hired Steve Walters of Justice Management, Nappanee, as manager.
Kennedy told Call he would need the keys to get the work done. At the meeting, Call told building inspectors he was taking steps to obtain the keys.
As of Wednesday, Kennedy said, no information had been received and "Sterling Management handed over the keys last week (to Call)."
With no management on-site, tenants have been concerned with where to send their rent and get their damage deposits refunds. As of Wednesday, all 40 tenants still needed their deposits back.
Locking the vacant units also was a concern two weeks ago. But, Kennedy said Wednesday, Call did lock the vacant units and she saw a ladder at the complex, as if somebody was working on the gutters.
"He was in control of the office as of last Wednesday," Kennedy said. "(But) there's nobody out there."
Oliver and Kennedy have made several trips to the complex to survey the work done and to check on the tenants.
Two weeks ago Call said he was researching and deciding on products to be used to correct the fire separation hazard.
"I know what you're looking for and I'll get it," Call told building inspectors two weeks ago.
He also said he would keep in touch with the building department by submitting daily logs of his progress.
But as of Wednesday, Kennedy said, "We haven't received a log yet."
She said he did call Thursday and promised to drop off a log Friday, but that didn't happen.
She also said Call "has not submitted plans for application on a building permit yet."
This means Call cannot start construction on the complex.
Besides the construction, many families are still without homes.
"We have approximately 11 families" with nowhere to go, Kennedy said Wednesday.
She said she is still working to find homes for the residents.
"We've been taking listings of vacant rentals," Kennedy said, "and taping (them) on the doors (of the units at Glen Terrace)."
She said "the people aren't having any luck" because of the high prices of rental properties in Warsaw, and the tenants can't afford the rent of the places she so far has found.
What's the solution? How can other Warsaw residents and landlords help?
"We could really use landlords to call here for more available rentals," Kennedy said. "Two-bedroom (apartments) are what we're in need of."
Kennedy also said some of the tenants "think they get to stay because he (Call) told them he's going to get work done in a couple of weeks."
Kennedy said she's "having a hard time convincing them otherwise."
She said she has "to go every day just to let them know someone is still working on it (code violation)."
As of two weeks ago, no meeting was scheduled between Call and the building department. "I'm going to keep them posted daily," Call said at the meeting. Fire separation correction was scheduled to start June 28. Fire separation did not start June 28.
Abondoned vehicles, stained and molding carpets, loose kitchen cabinets, backed-up human waste and of course, insufficient fire separation are only a few of the items on the list of repairs needed.
Kennedy scheduled Call for the Warsaw Code Enforement Hearings at 1:30 p.m. July 17. "Our deadline was July 1," Kennedy said. [[In-content Ad]]
John Call, the owner of condemned Glen Terrace Apartments, Walter Way, Warsaw, failed to comply with Warsaw building inspectors yet again. Call is scheduled to appear at the Warsaw Code Enforcement Hearings July 17.
Only two weeks ago, the complex was on its way to compliance with city codes.
Warsaw Building Inspector and Assistant Building Commissioner Pam Kennedy condemned the last two buildings of the complex June 21. Kennedy, fire safety inspector Michael Wilson, building commissioner Gene Oliver, representative from USDA Rural Development Dan Hughes and Call, Syracuse, met June 23 (along with Warsaw Fire Chief Matt Warren, Indianapolis housing coordinator John Young, USDA Rural Development manager Enzley Mitchell, Indianapolis) to discuss construction plans for the 40-unit complex.
At the meeting, Call said he was concerned with the fire separation violation, which triggered the condemnation. He brought plans to the meeting illustrating each step the engineer would take to solve the code violation. Call also said he has plans to paint the buildings and clean out the gutters. Call told the building department that he hired Ben Niles, Syracuse, to do most of the work.
But Call ran into an obstacle two weeks ago. Former management firm Sterling Management still had possession of the keys to the units, although they had already moved out of their on-site office. Call said Sterling Management claimed to still be the managers until July 1, even though Call terminated their employment and has since hired Steve Walters of Justice Management, Nappanee, as manager.
Kennedy told Call he would need the keys to get the work done. At the meeting, Call told building inspectors he was taking steps to obtain the keys.
As of Wednesday, Kennedy said, no information had been received and "Sterling Management handed over the keys last week (to Call)."
With no management on-site, tenants have been concerned with where to send their rent and get their damage deposits refunds. As of Wednesday, all 40 tenants still needed their deposits back.
Locking the vacant units also was a concern two weeks ago. But, Kennedy said Wednesday, Call did lock the vacant units and she saw a ladder at the complex, as if somebody was working on the gutters.
"He was in control of the office as of last Wednesday," Kennedy said. "(But) there's nobody out there."
Oliver and Kennedy have made several trips to the complex to survey the work done and to check on the tenants.
Two weeks ago Call said he was researching and deciding on products to be used to correct the fire separation hazard.
"I know what you're looking for and I'll get it," Call told building inspectors two weeks ago.
He also said he would keep in touch with the building department by submitting daily logs of his progress.
But as of Wednesday, Kennedy said, "We haven't received a log yet."
She said he did call Thursday and promised to drop off a log Friday, but that didn't happen.
She also said Call "has not submitted plans for application on a building permit yet."
This means Call cannot start construction on the complex.
Besides the construction, many families are still without homes.
"We have approximately 11 families" with nowhere to go, Kennedy said Wednesday.
She said she is still working to find homes for the residents.
"We've been taking listings of vacant rentals," Kennedy said, "and taping (them) on the doors (of the units at Glen Terrace)."
She said "the people aren't having any luck" because of the high prices of rental properties in Warsaw, and the tenants can't afford the rent of the places she so far has found.
What's the solution? How can other Warsaw residents and landlords help?
"We could really use landlords to call here for more available rentals," Kennedy said. "Two-bedroom (apartments) are what we're in need of."
Kennedy also said some of the tenants "think they get to stay because he (Call) told them he's going to get work done in a couple of weeks."
Kennedy said she's "having a hard time convincing them otherwise."
She said she has "to go every day just to let them know someone is still working on it (code violation)."
As of two weeks ago, no meeting was scheduled between Call and the building department. "I'm going to keep them posted daily," Call said at the meeting. Fire separation correction was scheduled to start June 28. Fire separation did not start June 28.
Abondoned vehicles, stained and molding carpets, loose kitchen cabinets, backed-up human waste and of course, insufficient fire separation are only a few of the items on the list of repairs needed.
Kennedy scheduled Call for the Warsaw Code Enforement Hearings at 1:30 p.m. July 17. "Our deadline was July 1," Kennedy said. [[In-content Ad]]