Delete WardOwners of Shaker Boulevard Apartments Disregard Health and Safety Issues
Feb 01, 2023
Cleveland (Jan. 31, 2023) – Council President Blaine A. Griffin and Councilwoman Deborah Gray will join tenants and neighborhood leaders for a press conference tomorrow (Feb. 1st) to bring attention and support to residents living in deplorable apartment buildings on Shaker Boulevard.
The tenants in 12500, 12600, and 12701 Shaker Boulevard have formed a “distressed tenants” organization because of the conditions in all three buildings, including lack of heat, running water, major leaks, and rampant mold.
Due to system and service failures, the owners have been charged by the City of Cleveland Building and Housing with multiple violations of the Building Code of Cleveland. The Department of Building and Housing is preparing to pursue civil actions since the city has not gotten the buildings into code compliance through the criminal code prosecution.
The Municipal Housing Court has held the Chetrit Group in Contempt of Court due to their repeated failure to appear for hearings. A recent news report revealed the Chetrit Group is facing a $481 million loan default and is looking to sell more than 8,000 units across multiple states.
The tenants of the buildings on Shaker Boulevard are now withholding their rent by establishing with the Municipal Housing Court “sufficient cause of action” for Payment-of-Rent-in-Escrow. Ohio law allows a tenant to pay rent to the court to force the landlord to make repairs.
Who: Council President Griffin, Councilwoman Gray, members of the neighborhood Moreland Group, and tenants
What: Press Conference calling on the owners to repair the numerous problems in these apartment buildings and the next steps in holding them accountable
When: 3 pm, Wednesday, Feb. 1, in front of The Residence of Shaker Square, 12701 Shaker Blvd.