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Cleveland Public Theater, left, has been a pivitol part of the public-private partnership that created the Gordon Square Arts District. A stome angel adorning the landmark St. Coleman Church. Cleveland’s places of worship help to stabilize neighborhoods. And Slavic Village, the neighborhood often referred to as the “epicenter of the foreclosure crisis,” takes pride in promoting healthy, active living. A participant in the Active Living by Design program of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Slavic Village focuses on family health, from the Morgana Run Trail, a two-mile bicycling and walking path, that serves as the site of an annual Pierogi Dash 5K Run and Fun Walk, to the Velodrome, a 166-meter steel and wood Olympicstyle cycling track, installed on a patch of vacant land where a hospital once stood. 76 The longevity of each of these ideas, of course, is unknown. But more important than their duration, these innovations represent the commitment of residents of Cleveland’s neighborhoods to the reinvention of Cleveland itself. Cleveland’s neighborhoods are getting a hand from some larger partners, as well. For example, the Cuyahoga County Land Reutilization Corporation, known as the County Land Bank, is a non-profit organization that strategically assesses abandoned or otherwise distressed properties, and renovates or demolishes them. The Land Bank, which has accepted dozens of property donations from Housing Court defendants, puts properties into the hands of beneficial owners, returning them to productive use, and keeps them out of the hands of real estate speculators. The Land Bank’s work clears the way for new, positive ownership of the properties. Since its inception in 2009, the Land Bank has made a difference on dozens of streets throughout Cuyahoga County, helping neighbors in those communities take pride in their homes, businesses and surroundings again. The actions of the Land Bank and other large organizations within the City can supplement and complement the work of the smaller, grass roots organizations, to revitalize our City. Evolution of the Housing Court 1970’s 1980’s 1990’s Late 1970s City officials, state legislators and community activists lobby for the creation of a court to handle housing issues on the Cleveland Municipal Court docket. 1980 Governor James A. Rhodes allows bill to become law without his signature. The Court has five staff, including Judge Joseph F. McManamon, who was appointed by the legislature, and a Housing Specialist and a bailiff. Judge McManamon wins election to Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court after serving 10 months as Housing Court Judge. 1987 Cleveland State University Professor W. Dennis Keating prepares study: “An 1996 Judge Raymond L. Pianka takes office as the sixth Housing Court judge. 1996 The Court creates the Warrant/Capias Unit, which Evaluation of the tracks down criminal defendants who fail to appear in 1981 Governor Rhodes appoints Judge Robert Malaga for a 1-year term. More than 920 code Cleveland Court.” Housing Court. The Court establishes the Amicus Curiae volunteer program. . . . . enforcement . . cases . are filed . in the Court’s . first . full . . . . . . . . . . year of operation. 1990 Judge William F. Corrigan takes office as the fifth Housing Court judge. 28 1979 The Ohio General Assembly passes legislation creating the Housing Division of Cleveland Municipal Court. 1984 Judge Clarence Gaines takes office, becoming the fourth Housing Court judge in four years. 1982 Judge Eddie Corrigan takes office as Housing Court judge. The Court creates its first set of Local Rules. 1986 The Union Miles Development Corp. spearheads formation of the Cleveland Housing Receivership Project, comprised of neighborhood groups that want to use receivership as a tool to fight abandoned houses. 1992 Housing Court establishes its Civil Mediation Program. 1993 The City of Cleveland Department of Community Development publishes its Building & Housing Task Force Report, recommending an expansion of code enforcement efforts. 1993 A historic South Boulevard home is condemned and slated for demolition. The Cleveland Restoration Society files a nuisance abatement case with Housing Court, is appointed receiver, eventually restoring the grand old home.
2000’s 2010’s 2003 The Court begins publishing a series of newsletters, later expanded to include informational videos, on its web site. 2005 The Court begins working with Cleveland Marshall School of Law students through CSU’s Housing Clinical Program. n Judge Pianka fines two South Carolina real estate companies more than $13 million for failing to fix derelict property. n Court marks its 30th anniversary. 2007 The Court begins its Trials in Absentia n Housing Court sentences defendants to 1997 Almost 4,000 foreclosure cases are docket. Judge Raymond L. Pianka is Community Control (formerly known as filed in Cuyahoga County, a rise from previous years. reelected without opposition. probation) to monitor cases and properties owned by defendants. 2007 The Court begins sending letters . 1997 . The Court . launches . the . Code . . . informing . . owners . of foreclosed . properties . . . n Housing . Court creates . Mental . Health Project to Enforcers Program, now the Neighborhood about their maintenance obligations connect mental health consumers with resources, Advocates Program. and rights. improve compliance with court orders. 1999 The Court publishes report, Beyond Broken Windows. 1998 The Court begins the Selective Intervention Program, pairing firsttime offender owner-occupants with Housing Specialists to achieve compliance. 2008 Cleveland Housing Renewal Project sues Deutsche Bank and Wells Fargo Bank in Housing Court. Court grants temporary restraining order to halt sales and ultimately orders properties brought up to code through repair or demolition. 2008 The Court creates the Eviction Warrant Docket. 2008 The Court begins accepting comprehensive plea agreements from volume owners in code violation cases. n Housing Court launches Neighborhood Advocates Program. n Housing Court subpoenas lienholders to appear in criminal cases to discuss solutions for problem properties. n All housing-related Small Claims cases are assigned to the Housing Court for hearing by magistrates. 2010 The Cuyahoga County Land Bank is established. 29
Page 1 and 2: We Shape Our Cities, And Thereafter
Page 3 and 4: he Housing Court has jurisdiction o
Page 5: It has been my privilege to be the
Page 8 and 9: Columbia, holding Congress could co
Page 11 and 12: ocial and Political Change Bolsters
Page 13: Housing Court - Justice Beyond the
Page 16 and 17: hiring more than one Housing Specia
Page 19 and 20: oactive Court The 1990s ushered in
Page 21: collaborating with the Northeast Oh
Page 24 and 25: The often unscrupulous practice of
Page 27 and 28: evitalization and Resilience As the
Page 29: first year, 2008, this family-frien
Page 34 and 35: Notes The Early Years: The Emergenc

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