Cleveland Housing Court

Notes
The Early Years: The Emergence of an Idea
n 1 William Dennis Keating &Norman Krumholz, CLEVELAND: A METROPOLITAN READER
43 (Kent State University Press, ed. 1995). n 2 Id. n 3 348 U.S. 26, 36 (1954). n 4 Id. at 32-33.
n 5 See Ray Dorsey, Councilmen Back Open-Type Garage for Parking in City, THE PLAIN DEALER,
Apr. 5, 1950, at 2 (discussing attendance of Cleveland City Council members at the conference, and
their favorable impressions of the Baltimore Housing Court). n 6 John G. Blair and Odell M. Smith,
Cleveland Lags Far Behind Baltimore in Housing, Visitors Find, THE PLAIN DEALER, Apr. 16,
1954, at 1A. n 7 Fix Up Slums, Says Editor to Owners, THE PLAIN DEALER, Apr. 30, 1950, at 6F.
n 8 Baltimore Aide Views Rigid Codes as Key to City Fixup, THE PLAIN DEALER, Sept. 25, 1952,
at 22. n 9 Bankers Prodded on Urban Tasks: St. James A.M.E. Pastor Asks Redevelopment Aid, THE
PLAIN DEALER, June 13, 1953, at 8. n 10 Report Says Housing Code Important in Fight on Slums,
THE PLAIN DEALER, July 19, 1953, at 3E. n 11 Eugene Segal, Full Time Housing Court Called
Need by Corrigan, THE PLAIN DEALER, Apr. 25, 1954, at 22B. n 12 Editorial, Too Much Wrist
Slapping, THE PLAIN DEALER, Oct. 6, 1959, at 12. n 13 Urban League Backs Better Housing Push,
THE PLAIN DEALER, Apr. 14, 1961, at 25. n 14 Donald Sabath, Praise of Two Landlords Brings on
Heated Debate, THE PLAIN DEALER, Jan. 21, 1964, at 17. n 15 Pilot Rehabilitation Urged in Ward
21, THE PLAIN DEALER, Feb. 1, 1965, at 16.
Social and Political Change Bolsters the Call
for a Housing Court
n 16 Clinic Sought to Aid Fight on Blight, THE PLAIN DEALER, Apr. 4, 1965, at 28A.
n 17 Stokes Pledges War on Landlords, THE PLAIN DEALER, Sept. 9, 1965, at 67. n 18
See OHIO REV. CODE §§ 5321.01-5321.19. n 19 Donald Sabath, City Is Losing Battle
to Stem Urban Blight, THE PLAIN DEALER , Mar. 23, 1972, at 2B. n 20 William C.
Barnard, Housing Fines Here Average Only $15, THE PLAIN DEALER, Dec. 23, 1966, at 1.
n 21 Roldo Bartimole, City in Housing Crisis, PATH Study Concludes, THE PLAIN DEALER, Mar.
14, 1967, at 1. n 22 Robert E. Miller, Bill Would Set Up Courts to Fight Slumlords, THE PLAIN
DEALER, Feb. 15, 1979, at 26A. n 23 Housing Court Is Proposed, WEST SIDE SUN (Cleveland),
Feb. 8, 1979. n 24 See, e.g., Katherine L. Hatton, The Time for Cleveland Housing Court Is Now,
THE PLAIN DEALER, Mar. 4, 1979, at 29; F. Ross Ellis, Letter to the Editor, Housing Judge Idea
Backed, THE PLAIN DEALER, Mar. 23, 1979, at 22A; Councilmen Testify in Favor of Housing
Court Bill, THE PLAIN DEALER, Mar. 31, 1979, at 10E. n 25 See S.B. 35, 113th Gen. Assemb.
(Ohio 1979), codified at OHIO REV. CODE § 1901.011. n 26 Special City Housing Court Born as
Rhodes Skips Veto, THE PLAIN DEALER, Jan. 1, 1980. n 27 Robert Jaquay, Cleveland’s Housing
Court: A Grassroots Victory 25 Years Ago Paved the Way for a Reliable, Much Needed Institution,
SHELTERFORCE ONLINE (NAT’L HOUSING INST.), no. 141, 2005, available at http://nhi.org/
online/issues/sf141.html.
After a Slow Start, Housing Advocates Win the Day
n 28 Id. n 29 Bob Schlesinger, Judge Malaga Nudges Delinquent Owners to Repair Their Run-
Down Properties, THE CLEVELAND PRESS, Apr. 13, 1981. n 30 See W. Dennis Keating, Judicial
Approaches to Urban Housing Problems: A Study of the Cleveland Housing Court, 19 THE URBAN
LAWYER 345 (1987)
Proactive Court
n 31 Angela D. Chatman, Judge Wants to Get Housing in Order, THE PLAIN DEALER, Feb. 15, 1992,
at 31. n 32 Dave Davis, Contempt for Dumping: Cleveland Judges Drop Gavel on Illegal Junk, THE
PLAIN DEALER, Mar. 4, 1992, at 1B. n 33 David Plata, Stadler Citation, Penalties Being Sought,
THE PLAIN DEALER, May 12, 1994, at A1.
New Challenges Test the Court...the 2000’s
n 34 Mallach, Levy, Schilling, CLEVELAND AT THE CROSSROADS, 5 (2005).
n 35 Mallach, Levy, Schilling, CLEVELAND AT THE CROSSROADS (2005). n 36
Hon. Raymond L. Pianka, Abandoned Properties: Facing the Challenge, available at http://www.
clevelandhousingcourt.org/hc_rd_b.html. n 37 Bob Paynter, From Ramshackle to Riches: A Boom in
Houses of Cards, THE PLAIN DEALER, Aug. 28 2000, 1A. n 38 See Alex Kotlowitz, All Boarded
Up, THE NEW YORK TIMES, Mar. 4, 2009, available at http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/08/
magazine/08Foreclosure-t. html?pagewanted=all&_r=0. n 39 Bob Paynter, From Ramshackle to
Riches: A Boom in Houses of Cards, THE PLAIN DEALER, Aug. 28 2000, 1A. n 40 Id. n 41 Id. n 42
Bob Paynter, Entrepreneur to Serve Time in Condemned Rental House, THE PLAIN DEALER, Aug.
31, 2000, 1A. n 43 Local Real Estate Flipper Sentenced to Federal Prison, THE NEIGHBORHOOD
NEWS (Cleveland), Jan. 25, 2006. n 44 C.C.O. § 659.02. n 45 Am. Fin. Serv. Ass’n v. Cleveland,
112 Ohio St.3d 170, 2006-Ohio-6043, 858 N.E.2d 776. n 46 C.C.O. § 367.12. n 47 C.C.O. §§
601.99(a), (c). n 48 Thomas Ott, Housing Judge Hammers the Banks, THE PLAIN DEALER,
Mar. 15, 2006, at B3. n 49 Joe Milicia, Cities Fight Glut of Vacant Houses, THE ASSOCIATED
PRESS, Feb. 2, 2008, http://www.foxnews.com/printer_friendly_wires/2008Feb05/0,4675,
ForeclosureCrisisAbandonedHomes,00.html. n 50 Sandra Livingston, Program Uses Decorative Boards
to Try to Blend Vacant Homes into Cleveland Neighborhoods, THE PLAIN DEALER, Aug. 25, 2010.
n 51 Id.
Revitalization and Resilience
n 52 Shawn Rech, Holding Court in a Crisis: Cleveland Housing Court Judge Raymond
Pianka, SUITES MAGAZINE, Fall 2009, at 16-17. n 53 See Alex Kotlowitz, All Boarded Up, THE
NEW YORK TIMES MAGAZINE, Mar. 8, 2009, available at http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/08/
magazine/08Foreclosure-t.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0 (“The city estimates that 10,000 houses,
or 1 in 13, are vacant. The county treasurer says it’s more likely 15,000.”); see also PBS News Hour,
Raze the Roof Cleveland Levels Vacant Homes to Revive Neighborhoods, (original broadcast July 5,
2011), available at http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/business/july-dec11/makingsense_07-05.html
(“Cleveland alone host some 13,000 vacant homes, and the numbers keep piling up.”); 60 Minutes,
There Goes the Neighborhood (original broadcast Dec. 18, 2011), available at http://www.cbsnews.
com/8301-18560_162-57344513/there-goes-the-neighborhood/ (Cuyahoga County ripped down 1,000
[vacant homes in 2011]. And they have 20,000 more to go.”). n 54 2009-2012 OHIO SUPREME
COURT REPORTS FOR CLEVELAND MUNICIPAL COURT, HOUSING DIVISION (on file
at Cleveland Housing Court, and available upon request). n 55 2012 OHIO SUPREME COURT
REPORTS FOR CLEVELAND MUNICIPAL COURT, HOUSING DIVISION (on file at Cleveland
Housing Court, and available upon request). n 56 Mark Frater, Colleen Gilson, Ronald J.H. O’Leary,
CITY OF CLEVELAND CODE ENFORCEMENT PARTNERSHIP (2009), available at http://
www.communityprogress.net/filebin/pdf/ CLE_CE_Partnership.pdf. n 57 Sylvia Gets a Makeover,
CUYAHOGA LAND BANK (Apr. 16, 2012), http://blog.cuyahogalandbank.org/2012/04/sylviagets-a-makeover/.
n 58 Ted Kortan, Ribbon-Cutting Caps Building Renovation in Cleveland’s Detroit
Shoreway Neighborhood, NEWSNET5.COM (May 15, 2012), http://www.newsnet5.com/dpp/
news/local_news/cleveland_metro/Ribbon-cutting-caps-building-renovation-in-Clevelands-Detroit-
Shoreway- neighborhood. n 59 Ted Kortan, Cleveland Woman Returns to Her Home Since 1945
After Renovation, NEWSNET5.COM (May 28, 2012), http://www.newsnet5.com/dpp/news/local_
news/cleveland_metro/Cleveland-woman-returns-to-her-home-since-1945-after-renovation n 60 Id.
n 61 LARCHMERE PORCH FEST, http://larchmereporchfest.org/ (last visited May 15, 2013).
n 62 CornUCopia Place, BURTON, BELL, CARR DEVELOPMENT, INC, http://www.
bbcdevelopment.org/cornucopia-bbcd/ (last visited May 15, 2013); Welcome to Bridgeport Café,
BRIDGEPORT CAFÉ CLEVELAND, http://www.bridgeportcafe.com/ (last visited May 15, 2013).
n 63 VINEYARDS OF CHATEAU HOUGH, http://chateauhough.org/ (last visited May 15, 2013).
n 64 Joe Pagonakis, Could Goats Replace Lawn Mowers in Maintaining Cleveland Inner City
Vacant Lots?, NEWSNET5.COM (June 12, 2012), http://www.newsnet5.com/dpp/money/consumer/
troubleshooter/could-goats-replace-lawn-mowers-in-maintaining-cleveland-inner-city-vacant-lots.
n 65 About, THE CLEVELAND FLEA, http://theclevelandflea.com/about/ (last visited May 15, 2013).
n 66 See Clint O’Connor, Capitol Theater’s Unexpected Success Spurs Revival of Cleveland’s Gordon
Square Arts District, THE PLAIN DEALER, Oct. 16, 2012, available at http://www.cleveland.com/
moviebuff/index.ssf/2012/10/capitol_theatres_unexpected_su.html; see also Neighborhood Residencies
“At Home”, THE CLEVELAND ORCHESTRA, http://www.clevelandorchestra.com/at-home.aspx
(last visited May 9, 2013). n 67 Donna J. Miller, City Pledges to Help with Mt. Pleasant Cleanup, THE
PLAIN DEALER, Oct. 5, 2010, at B2 n 68 Pat Galbincea, Cleveland Residents Confront Landlord, THE
PLAIN DEALER, Aug. 11, 2011, at B6; Direct Action Against Slumlords Karla Shim and Evon Gocan,
THE ESOP BLOG (Sept. 14, 2011), http://esopblog.wordpress.com/2011/09/14/direct-action-againstslumlords-karla-shim-and-
evon-gocan/. n 69 See Cleveland v. Karla Shim, No. 2009 CRB 16953
(Clev. Mun. Ct. 2011) (showing fine paid in full). n 70 See Ben Franklin Community Garden, OLD
BROOKLYN COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION, http://www.oldbrooklyn.com/
BFCG/ (last visited May 13, 2013).Treadway Creek Greenway Restoration and Trail Fact Sheet, OLD
BROOKLYN COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION, http://www.oldbrooklyn.com/
Treadway/treadway.html (last visited May 13, 2013). n 71 Events, OLD BROOKLYN COMMUNITY
DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION, http://www.oldbrooklyn.com/specialevents.html (last visited May
13, 2013). n 72 Id. n 73 The Hooley on Kamm’s Corners Offers Fun All Day, 13 KAMM’S CORNERS
MAGAZINE, no. 2, 2013 at 8, available at http://www.kammscorners.com/Magazine/13Spring.pdf.
n 74 A Place for the Arts in West Park?, 13 KAMM’S CORNERS MAGAZINE, no. 2, 2013 at 15,
available at http://www.kammscorners.com/Magazine/13Spring.pdf. n 75 See Joe Crea, Waterloo
Road Renaissance Underway in Cleveland’s Collinwood Neighborhood, THE PLAIN DEALER,
Feb. 20, 2013, available at http://www.cleveland.com/entertainment/index.ssf/2013/02/waterloo_road_
renaissance_unde.ht ml; see also Waterloo Arts Fest, ARTS COLLINWOOD, http://waterlooartsfest.
com/new/ (last visited May 14, 2013). n 76 See Living Active, BROADWAY SLAVIC VILLAGE
DEVELOPMENT, http://slavicvillage.org/livingactive/morganaruntrail (last visited May 14, 2013);
see also Mission, Vision, and History – Cleveland Velodrome, FAST TRACK CYCLING, http://
clevelandvelodrome.org/# (last visited May 14, 2013).
The Work Continues
n 77 See, e.g., SUPREME COURT OF OHIO, 2011 COURTS STATISTICAL REPORT 194, available
at http://www.supremecourt.ohio.gov/publications/annrep/11OCS/2011OCS.pdf; SUPREME COURT
OF OHIO, 2010 COURTS STATISTICAL REPORT 193, available at http://www.supremecourt.ohio.
gov/Publications/annrep/10OCS/2010OCS.pdf. n 78 See, e.g. Heather K. Way, Michelle McCarthy,
John Scott, BUILDING HOPE: TOOLS FOR TRANSFORMING ABANDONED AND BLIGHTED
PROPERTIES INTO COMMUNITY ASSETS, A REPORT ON DALLAS, TEXAS 17 (Univ. of Texas
School of Law, Cmty. Dev. Clinic 2007), available at https://www.utexas.edu/law/clinics/community/
buildersofhope.pdf; see also Frannk C. Bracco, AN INCREMENTAL APPROACH TO IMPROVING
CODE ENFORCEMENT AND COMPLIANCE IN CLAYTON COUNTY, GA (Clayton Archway
Partnership 2010), available at http://archwaypartnership.uga.edu/wp- content/uploads/2010/03/codeenforcement_march2010.pdf.
n 79 Sandra Livingston, Making Absentee Owners Pay: Judge Wants
Them to Cover the Losses that Neighbors Sustain, THE PLAIN DEALER, Aug. 2, 2010, at A1.
32