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Here is Mr. Cooper's reply to John's letter. [This was scanned in. Except for that funny comma after "Ave." in the second paragraph, any typos probably belong to the OCR].
Department of Community Development
Bureau of Permits & Inspections
(804) 780-6955
November 24, 1998Mr. John R Butcher
1508 Avondale Ave.
Richmond, VA 23227Re: 1603 Claremont Ave.
Dear Mr. Butcher:
My apologies for not making our meeting. I had four meetings scheduled for that afternoon and one took far longer than I anticipated. It broke up shortly after 3:30 p.m. rather than 3:00 p.m. as planned but you had left by that time.
The owner of the property at 1603 Claremont Ave., is listed as Hugh Anthony Gomes and the tenant is Terrianne Nosal. The property appears to be a rental property. The person occupying the premises is a tenant. The property contains debris, trash and other environmental code violations. The tenant has been cited with these violations. The tenant was summonsed to court on November 24, 1998 on these charges. They did not appear and were tried in their absence.
The '"peeling paint", down-spouts and building related conditions are violations of the property maintenance code. The property maintenance code holds the owner responsible for the condition of the property. The property maintenance code inspectors must locate the owner and summons the owner to court.
The inspectors cited the property for the "peeling paint" violation in 1996. They summonsed the owner to court. The summons was served, but the owner did not appear in court. We understand that he resides outside of the state. People can not be extradited from another state for misdemeanors. The judge tried the owner in his absence. The judge found the owner guilty and ordered the City to paint the house using taxpayer’s money and City resources. The judge also ordered the City to repair the roof. The City does not have the resources or the ability to paint the house or to repair the roof.
Perhaps, the best way to get some corrective action is to make this condition a part of "Operation Squalor". If five property owners complain to the Circuit Court that the condition of the property is a "common nuisance" the court will convene a grand jury. The Commonwealth Attorney's Office is using this technique on other properties where normal code enforcement techniques are not working. This property may be a candidate for Operation Squalor. Both Kevin Pernell and Cynthia Lowery in the Commonwealth Attorney's Office work on this program. If there are five property owners in the area who are willing to sign a petition that the house at 1603 Claremont Ave. is a common nuisance and are willing to go to court to testify on the condition of the property, then I suggest that you approach the Commonwealth Attorney's Office about Operation Squalor.
I hope this answers your questions.
Sincerely,
Claude G. Cooper
Building CommissionerCC: Connie Bawcum Acting City Manager
Did this answer your questions? It surely did not answer John's. Here is his reply.
Last updated 02/24/02
Please send questions or comments to John Butcher