Residents of East Ninth Ave. are getting a little closer to their landlord this summer.
Stuart Kaplow is currently living in his apartment at 112 E. Ninth Ave. He was sentenced last May to live there by Franklin County Environmental Judge Richard C. Pfeiffer Jr. According to his sentence Kaplow must reside there until his properties are clear of their code violations.
Neighbors have spotted maintenance crews going into and out of his apartment, but no work has been done on any surrounding apartment units in that complex.
Kaplow owns about 80 low-income properties throughout the city, including complexes south of the Ohio State University campus on Ninth Ave.
James Scott, resident of 116 E. Ninth Ave. and neighbor of Kaplow’s new residence, says he really hasn’t had any severe maintenance problems like many of his neighbors. The only problem he has had was two weeks without heat while his heating unit was being fixed. Scott says Kaplow is a good guy and many of his neighbors only have complaints about their apartments not their landlord.
“We just want a place to live that’s decent, that’s all we ask for,” Scott said.
Other low-income property owners, such as the Northside Development Corporation have had few incidents like Kaplow’s. “When there’s a problem, we take care of it right away,” said Ben Brace, president of the board of the Northside Development Corporation.
The Northside Development Corporation works out of Godman Guild on East Sixth Ave. to help find housing for low-income workers in the area. The corporation has been around for 10 years and currently has 17 rentals. It tries to keep the rent as low as possible by writing grants and asking the city for money.
Brace said their relationship with the city keeps the corporation in line. “I respect Judge Pfeiffer enough to stay out of his court room.”
In the past 10 years Brace said he has only had to evict two tenants due to code violations. He said the rent from each apartment is used to keep up the maintenance and keep the area clear of trash.
Pasquale Grado, the director of the University Community Business Association, says poor upkeep of area housing can indirectly affect the business community in a negative way.
“If the local environment is not kept up, then it gives a certain perception of the area to visitors,” Grado said.
He said the tenants of these apartments are not to blame for the negative image, but the actual maintenance of the area.
“Whether it’s the housing or just cleaning up the trash in front of houses, the tenants are the customers,” Grado said.
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