Eyesore of the Week

910 Cleveland St.
Owner: Christian Nwobu
Lansing

A resident or traveler on Cleveland Street on the north side of Lansing is greeted with two boarded-up houses next to each other in the 900 block, both rentals owned by Christian Nwobu of East Lansing. The city has accused Nwobu of illegally renting his red-tagged homes. Eight complaints it filed in 54A District Court included 910 Cleveland; these complaints ask a judge to order Nwobu to make immediate repairs to bring the house into compliance with city rental rules. The court has scheduled a show-cause hearing for Nwobu Monday, May 12. He could face $500 per day per violation for each home under city ordinances. “He did pay off the delinquent 6-8 years at the last minute and kept it out of foreclosure, which is what he’s been doing each year,” emailed Ingham County Treasurer Alan Fox. Nwobu still owes $18,921.01 in 2023-‘24 taxes for this house, he added. The 950-square-foot home, which was built in 1898 and purchased by Nwobu in 2015, has an assessed value of $40,500. “The city is finally looking for some way to get him off the dime on this. I imagine they’ll have to do the same for his other properties.” City Pulse reported last December that Nwobu owns 23 rental properties with delinquent property tax balances.

STEVE UNDERWOOD

“Eyesore of the Week” is our weekly look at some of the seedier properties in Lansing. It rotates with Public Art, by Bill Castanier. Have a suggestion? Email eye@lansingcitypulse.com  or call in a nomination at 517-999-5061.