Behind the inspection at 816 Bancroft Court

Larry Connelly, a city inspector, visited the property on Thursday based on a complaint filed by City Council members. That complaint was based on photos shared by City Pulse and an expression of concern for the tenant’s health and safety.

In an email to Scott Sanford, the city’s lead housing inspector, Connelly said: “I inspected the dwelling for any code violations, and found the ceiling above the kitchen sink showed evidence of an active leak from the second floor bathroom.

“In the basement I found evidence of a grow operation and electrical wiring installed without a permit. I observed traces of water on the basement floor and what looked to be dirt where the tenant claims is mold. I did not see mold on the basement walls or any of the appliances, furnace or water heater. The second floor bath vanity is loose from the wall and the sink arrears to be clogged. A safety inspection letter has been issued for the violations observed at this property.”

City Pulse has observed and documented what appears to be mold — something city officials deny.

Regarding “the alleged ‘black mold on the walls,’” wrote Sanford in an email to City Pulse, “this wasn’t black mold, it was potting soil left over from the grow room that had been installed in the basement.”

George VanDouser and his family, who rent the property, on Friday removed bags of garbage, which had been properly bagged and stored in the basement, as well as an old mattress. They then spent the day sweeping and mopping the floors.

When City Pulse returned on Saturday, the black mold like substances remained on the floor and the walls. The smell of mold and mildew had been reduced, but remained present.

VanDouser said the property has had longstanding issues with the electric, water in the basement, mold and the bathroom sink. A document called a “Move-In Inventory Checklist” filled out by the VanDousers on Nov. 15, when they took possession of the rental property, documents many of these concerns.

“There are several noteable cracks on the walls of the basement as well as the floors,” wrote VanDouser’s wife, Lorie Ann. “The walls and floors are not fully painted. You can tell that some one attempted to seal spots on the walls. It looks like a cement/tar type sealant. However, this did not work.”

Included in the report by inspector Connelly was speculation on the motivations of the tenants.

“The statements the tenant made during the inspection was, quote ‘I am not looking for money or compensation, I just want the owner to pay,’” Donnelly reported in his email to Sanford. “In the way the statement was said, I took that as a personal vendetta against the property owner. The tenant stated that they were looking for another place to move, and I asked the tenant why he hasn’t moved already? He stated that he didn’t know. I asked if there was still a lease in place, and the tenant said yes. I asked how long they have lived there, and he stated about seven months. He asked me what he should do, and I told him to seek legal counsel.”

This drew the ire of Yorko, who represents the VanDousers and lives on the same street.

“I take serious issue with both Larry´s comments and assumptions about the tenants based on his limited understanding of the situation, and Scott´s affirmation that is it somehow appropriate by saying ‘there is much more going on behind the scenes,’” Yorko wrote back in an email to Sanford and other Councilmembers. “The job of code enforcement is to find violations and write notices for corrections, and not to pass judgement on the tenant. This email is only further confirmation of deeper problems in the code enforcement unit than I even originally thought existed.”

Sanford responded back to Yorko noting that landlord-tenant disputes often come up as a result of code complaints and inspections.

“If someone wants to move and break their lease they know the easiest way to do that is to get the house tagged,” Sanford wrote.

“There are also people out there that constantly want to use our office for their own personal agenda and make false claims and complaints about things that aren’t true or that we don’t even have the authority to enforce,” he continued. “I can’t tell you the number of waist high grass complaints we get that turn out to be barely 8 inches high upon investigation or the multiple trash complaints we get and they turn out to be children’s toys spread throughout the yard and the complainant is trying to sell their house and doesn’t like the mess.”

Despite this, Sanford told City Pulse the motivations of tenants are not taken into account when issuing code violations.

Efforts to reach the property owner, Olie Olsen, were unsuccessful.