I just noticed a new member on REALNEO - "historicpreservationfraud" - who is listed as CEO of south boulevard historical society, with the very cool website http://www.southboulevardhistoricalsociety.org

I was drawn in by the username and saw on his website what it means..."All We Want For Christmas Is Our House"

SANFORD ROSS LEE
10128 SOUTH BOULEVARD - CLEVELAND, OHIO 44108
(216) 791-4614

August 23, 1996

Dominic W. Sacco, Housing Court Specialist
Cleveland Municipal Court
Justice Center- Level 13
1200 Ontario Street Cleveland, Ohio 44113

Dear Mr. Sacco:

This letter addresses concerns I have regarding the treatment accorded Mary V. Rayford, owner of a property at 9805 South Boulevard. Mrs. Rayford is my mother. We are contending that the above mentioned property was illegally acquired by the Cleveland Restoration Society. Since that time, no compensation has been offered or paid to Mrs. Rayford...

The house is now owned by a Trustee of the Glenville Development Corporation... from Continental's In-Flight Magazine, in 2005:

The century-old Colonial Revival house in Cleveland’s East Boulevard Historic District had seen better days by the time James Graham first spotted it in the late 1990s. The crumbling house was condemned, boarded up, and without electricity or running water. “It was basically a shell,” Graham recalls. But he saw something in it that convinced him this would eventually be his home. “It’s a well-designed house, and even in that terrible shape it showed a lot of potential.”

Starting in 1998, Graham and his partner, David Dusek, launched a five-year restoration project that has transformed a neighborhood eyesore into a gem. They had expected to spend a year — a year and a half tops — making the house livable. But unexpected problems dragged the process out. A dramatic grand staircase at the end of the entry hall was so close to collapsing that it had to be jacked up and reinforced with steel from the basement to the third floor.

Still, despite the snafus and additional expenses, Graham couldn’t be happier with his new home. Three newly restored porches and six bay windows provide ample light. Moldings and woodwork give the house character. Even better, Graham says that since he and Dusek began their restoration efforts, others in the neighborhood have followed their lead. “I like to think that we’ve been a catalyst for additional renovation,” Graham says. “There are no more boarded-up houses in our immediate area. There were at least half a dozen before.”

While I do not know the details of this case, and Frank Giglio's demolition is still far from resolved in court, it seems there are many cases of abuse of property owners by the City of Cleveland, now found to have corrupt building inspectors, with the support of supposed social service organizations like the Cleveland Restoration Society.

I look forward to learning more about the case of 9805 South Boulevard, and welcome Mr. Lee to REALNEO... please let us know more about your struggles as a citizen of unreal NEO, here.

We need to identify as many such cases as possible, to support class actions here.

This region needs far more class!

Disrupt IT

 is so disgusting.

and these two shine their little lights as "catalysts" in the neighborhood. Lets hope not...

Tonight, the Old South Side Community Coalition sat proud and tall, in our midst we were honored with the presence of one Frank Giglio. 

On a personal note, I was thrilled.  It was worth all the work and effort put into pulling this organization together to see Frank come through the door. 

When we can get people like him to come out and join us, we can say that we're making steps forward into changing this community.

Another thought, tonight we had a couple of reps from the ACLU and Frank did ask several questions and I believe that they were going to look up a couple of things for him and get back to him.

What I would really like to ask is that if there is anyone out there that knows anything or anyone conncected to the ACLU that can help Frank, it would be much appreciated.  So many of us want to help but don't know where to start. 

I believe that just the fact that he came to the meeting is a start in trying to get him back on the right track.  He certainly has our support.

I never followed Franks case, it seem like a typical condemnation case . That’s how the ACLU will see it, that being within the context of condemnation law.

Once a home is brought to light, that being a request is made to enforce the law on it, the city has little choice other than do that. Once that is initiated, it is difficult to stop it.

This man got bad advice, really bad.

He should have attempted to get out if not able to resolve what needed to be resolved. Most will follow the fix and or repair orders they usually patch it up. If you do nothing or cannot do anything then you are really screwed.

He is a casualty, that could happen to any one of us. That bothers me, but I am getting this feeling he was told to stand on principal and he should have been looking to get paid or to sell out.

It’s nuts people that have these fixed incomes or limited resources owning money pits. Every home I look at is past due on taxes…half the homes in the city are more than likely out of code. It’s insane to think they can or will force those codes on everyone, but if the light shines on you then that’s really difficult to get out of. Its why cities attempt to do point of sale inspections, to make sure that you do not buy what you cant afford to maintain.

Building a earthen house is not free, it is not outside of codes and requirements. It reduces the cost of material but does not make it free and or outside of all the other requirements for a permit.

You would need design plans and then examples of built to code homes in other cities. That being the codes used in other cities that allow that type of construction.

Does this man have a place to stay? Is he out on the street? Where is he now?

Maybe it is the matching game, you know that game that we give to kids. Put the things together that match.

What does Frank want? What does Frank need? Do they match and if not then why?

I just cannot imagine this man would sit down with a color chart, attempting to determine the perfect three colors for a historic Victorian. That thought or that way of thinking may be entirely foreign to him.

I like different, but some people really got into the matching game as children and others did not.

I would say the man needs at least 350 sq ft of living space, and that space being easy to maintain.

Then I think about Mrs., Dillon an eccentric old gal that used to live near me in the neighbored I was raised in. She only really needed 500 sq ft, but she had more. She also had some were in the area of ten dogs and some cats as well. This got her the name Mrs. Cats and Dogs. She also had this propensity to collect, her home was filled with stuff, lots of stuff. You know that home that has paths to get in and out. I thought she was great, but she also liked her yard and took care of her home.

I think you have problems when people homes begin to rot away. I do not think that’s unique or different living in squallier and filth. Not if other can see it, if it begins to degrade in public view it needs to be addressed. But fully funding compliance is not an option, and mowing a lawn can be avoided, but then a naturalized yard is not the same as over growth. We see differences in what is weeds and what is a bed of wildflowers. The difference between what is intentional and what is unintentional, what is being managed and what is just simply neglect.

I occasionally see people paint homes vivid colors, and do not appreciate it, but have to wonder if it is ok to regulate that? The control issues, and some people are not really thinking it through. Then it is matter of to much order as tyranny and not enough as anarchy.

I see it, Shaker at one time had deed restrictions to the extreme, to the level of saying this home can only be a certain color and occupied by a certain ethnicity! The brothers were some seriously exocentric control freaks.

What does Frank want; was it to continue in the home as it was, for sure, that’s yesterday, what are his options today and is he getting good advice? Is his inner voice off? What is the result of that? My own best friend or my own worst enemy.

Haha, who is the advocate of what Frank wants….then often it does not match what makes sense and then it gets no support. What if he wants to pitch a tent on the land?

Franks inability to communicate and effectively is that a disability? Is his eccentricity? I mean seriously if Kevin Kelly is disabled then Frank should be and then have a definable income and then that’s were to begin. I want to have a home on the Rivera, but I am not able to support that.

That’s were to begin and what social workers should be doing, qualifying and then defining the options. I could buy a big old Victorian, but I do not have the capital to support that. Then if I did and my neighbor undermined its value…I’d be depreciated.

The CDC should have links to county social programs, and what should happen is that Franks should have been assigned one that was not only to council, but to determine his options. Back to the matching game, it’s all there just all being convoluted and confused.

The unalienable right to be square peg in a round hole, does not seek justice, it pursues anarchy.

I checked the county records and he seems to be behind on some taxes, but is keeping up with them for the most part. He has two lots both are 40’ X 103’. I looked at Google to see where his land is. Its really nicely wooded. I would volunteer for that, but only if it was done to code. Hahaha… get a general contractors license, it would make for a good documentary.

Things like electricity, plumbing etc are all issues that would have to be covered. I think that every time the city was contacted then it should be recorded and made part of the documentary.

The goal besides giving the man a home would be to make people aware of earthen construction methods.

I see obstacles and it would not be good to get the mans hopes up. He needs to have his taxes straight, it looks as though it still is being accessed as if a home is on one of the lots.