"SIGNED,SEALED AND DELIVERIED" steve wonder
Here is the Letter Sent by Painesville City.
NOTICE OF CODE VIOLATION
5/12/2015
Karen D. Lawson
402 Bank St.
Painesville, OH 44077
Location of Violation: 15B0080000300
402 Bank St.
Painesville, Ohio
Regular/Certified Mall:
Dear Sir/Madam:
The City has received a complaint of rank vegetation on the property at the above-noted address, owned by you. Subsequent inspection by a City official revealed that this property is n violation of the 1983 City of Painesville Code, Section 917.021 (1) which does not permit high grass/weeds to grow on... "All land within seventy-five feet of any public Right-of-Way " (streets/sidewalk), or of another residential property."
The City extends the title holder seven (7) days within which to cut the over growth and trim around all trees,fences, sidewalks, and any structures on the property to bring the property into compliance with Code.
Should you fail to accomplish the required mowing/cutting within seven (7) days. Section917.04 allows the City to mow/remove the excess vegetation at your expense and bill you for this work, plus $75.00 for re-inspection and any other associated costs incurred by the contractor performing the work on the City's behalf. If the invoice for service is not paid within 30 days of same, the entire amount will be certified to the Lake County Auditor for placement on the relative property tax duplicate, including a 3% processing fee assessed by the Auditor.
Code Section 917.04also states "..One notification per calendar year will be deemed notice for all subsequent violations during the same calendar year..." This is the only notice of this violation that will served during Y2015. If the property is again found to be not in compliance with Section 917.02, the City will take action per Section 917.04 to have the property brought into compliance, the cost for which the titleholder will be held responsible.
Sincerely,
Michael Dobrzeniecki, Housing Inspector
Community Development Department
Here is the Letter sent to the City by Judge Karen D. Lawson.
Judge Karen Lawson
402 Bank Street
Painesville, Ohio 44077
May 15, 2015
Mr. Dobrzeniecki,
I am in receipt of your letter dated May 12, 2015. Perhaps you have the wrong address. I have a service that cuts my grass each and every week. My grass was cut May 5, 2015 and again on May 12,2015. Rank vegetation could not have grown in one week. Maybe the city should wait 7 days before writing such an offensive letter. I have lived at the same address for the past 28 years. I have maintained my home perfectly. I have made many improvements. I have spent thousands upon thousands of dollars in maintenance and improvements. The city should be so lucky to have homeowners as myself. I am extremely offended by your letter. There are many, many, houses in our city that need attention. Perhaps my tax dollars for your time should be spent taking care of those dwellings. Since I am not and was not in violation of the code, I do not and will not accept your statement, " This is the only notice of this violation that will be served during Y2015. If the property is again found to be not in compliance with to be in compliance with Section 917.02, the City will take action ..."
My property has never had "rank" vegetation. Pursuant to the Ohio public records law. I am hereby making demand, in writing, to know who made a complaint to the City. I also demand an apology. Finally, I cannot wait until my house sells so I can move to a city where the residents are treated with dignity. Perhaps the taxpayers of the City of Painesville would be better served if we took your salary and paved a road.
Karen Lawson
This letter was sent to the city manager, law director and all seven council people.
*******************************************************************************
Let me understand this now council spent 40 minutes in discussion of this? First off the resident should have stopped at the first paragraph, From that point forward I viewed it as "unprofessional and offensive"
Now the City's letter I did not find offensive, it was stating facts and if you sweeten it out people might not take it serious.
In finishing I hope the resident sells her home, finds a place where she is treated with more dignity and Mr. Dobrzeniecki keeps doing his job.
All this to do over this? Look if I can overlook Judge Lawson's statement we can also look over Councilman Flocks. These are both good people and are so much better then what is here.
posted by terminator1 @ 11:26 AM
33 Comments
33 Comments:
Sorry Term, I am with the judge on this one. I have driven by her house everyday for the past 20+ years and it is one of the better maintained homes in the city. I know as someone who takes a great deal of pride in their own home I would be pretty upset to get a letter accusing me of something that was not true. I would certainly hope that someone from the city looks at properties before sending letters, I know our neighboring communities do.
I also do not see anything in her letter that Mr. Flock should have taken to heart so much. Especially given all his negative comments about the city and its workers over the years.
I drive by the site of our former hospital and I see "rank vegetation" there. Hope they were sent a letter!
And when pressed about his out-of-control outburst over this letter, Flock said he didn't like to be threatened. Really, Flock? Threatened? Where? And Term said he took him at his word. Knowing what I know about Flock, I laughed when Term said he would take him at his word, because I wouldn't trust him if he said the sky was blue; I'd have to go look myself.
I don't find one thing wrong with Lawson's letter. And I think her statement about salaries/road paving is hilarious -- probably a little tongue-in-cheek humor, no? Funny.
I also think her statement about the citizens in this city not being treated with respect is highly accurate. I don't think anything about the letter is unprofessional and offensive as Term seems to think it is. I think it's a great letter, and I sincerely doubt that her property was not cared for adequately. I also understand how unnerving it could be to be told that without further notice for the rest of the year, your property could be tended to by others without your permission(and I am assuming without your knowledge and/or supervision), and you could be charged whatever the charges happen to be.
As for Flock saying he didn't like being threatened? Looks like you were caught in a bold-faced lie, Flock. Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha. Now that's reallllly funny. I say the judge stays and FLOCK goes.
I have to wonder if the City official who wrote the letter is the official who went to the property?
If not, why not?
If he is the building inspector, final authority should rest with him. I know that before I would write such a letter, I would make a visit and be 100% sure of what I was writing about. To take someone else's word is kind of reckless.
The letter from the Judge offends me because she uses her "elected" title but uses it with her personal address.
If the letter came from the Judge at her office location, fine. However when it comes from a private resident and from their home, she is no different than anyone reading this blog. IOW, she is nothing but a citizen.
BTW, I go by her house VERY often and I have to wonder what the complaint was over and if anyone from the City really went to look at it. I have never seen her yard in anything but exceptional condition.
IMO, both sides are guilty of classless behavior. Council should have better things to do than to waste time with this.
Thank you Term for posting both letters. I am surprised at the tone of Judge Lawson's response and I'm shocked that she would want to know who reported her to the City. Why? What is she planning to do to that neighbor? Somebody had a concern reported it to the City, the Inspector found the Judge in violation [not the neighbor]. Oh what a tangled web we weave. I have supported and voted for Karen Lawson in the past. I believe she is a good judge but her response makes her look petty. Now on to another topic, I would like to read the letter Superintendent Sheppard sent to Judge Lawson and the letter The Judge sent to the board members concerning the juvenile center. If the Blog can provide that then I might just cancel the News Herald.
LOVE JUDGE LAWSON!!!! SHE has my vote!! Flock and you term have stepped in a big pile of Rank S--- PLEASE leave Painesville and take Flock and Shepard with YOU! The schools should get letter about there RANK GROUNDS!
Good for Judge Lawson! While her second paragraph wasn't written civilly, so what? City Hall has long needed a verbal smackdown from someone who might actually get their attention, partly because some who work there are clueless, and also because of others who are arrogant and/or rude to those they supposedly serve. Speaking of arrogant behavior, it takes a lot of chutzpah for the city to issue letters about high grass when the former hospital site is beginning to look like Skok Meadow.
Yes, Lawson was blunt and undiplomatic, but she's probably as frustrated as many of us who live in this city are with the way the local government operates. With that in mind, it would be no surprise to find more than a few people around here giving a special thumbs-up to her last line about taking Dobrzeniecki's salary to pave a road. It might be a cheap shot on the surface, but it also speaks volumes for many of us who are tired of dealing with an incompetent local government and embarrassingly substandard roads.
Thanks for posting both the letters. I also drive past the Lawson home and agree I am want to find "rank vegetation". I sit at the light and think what a lovely house. If every house in Painesville looked like the Lawson house there would be a few inspectors out of a job. Of all the houses to send a letter about "rank vegetation" this wasn't it!
I see Karen Lawson as a proud home owner who got tramped on by the city. I think I could have written a letter much like the Lawson letter. After all, when you sink a butt load of money in your cherished home for the last 30 years and watch the value dwindle away, can't sell the house, can't get to your house without a front end alignment, watch houses on your block fall into disrepair, abandonment and foreclosure and then get a letter like the one written by the city. Example: black plastic still hanging in windows on Main Street after the multimillion dollar redo.
Sorry I think Karen Lawson has every right to be outraged by the letter she got from the city. Why not have the inspector and Judge Lawson meet for a walk about the property. If the inspector is wrong, indeed an apology is in order from the city.
I agree, she probably should have stopped after the first paragraph. However, I can see how this nonsense from the city can push you over the edge. You get these notices and have no recourse and can't talk to any rational person about it.
Why do people who rise to positions of authority so often become petty and think so highly of themselves???
I had a block watch neighbor call the city and say my neat coral of tree limbs at the rear of my property was a hazard. It was there to block constant trespass of kids. The inspector left a note saying he had been there, so I called him. He had no problem with the obstacle. Later, it mysteriously caught on fire. No sign of lighting....
I was not happy about that inspector visit, or a ticket for cracks in my sidewalk. But the city inspector was doing his job. Now the neighbor, that's different. That's life.
Let me understand this Judge? First she demands an apology, knowledge of who turned her property in and finally throw a city employee out of work. Stick-up for her all you want she's just a large fish in a very small pond!
Now Flock has two things to explain:
1) His horrible outburst against the judge at a council meeting -
2) His lie. He said he did it because he didn't like being threatened by the judge in the letter BUT THERE'S NO THREAT!!!
Ironically, the judge speaks in the letter about wanting to move to a place where the citizens are respected, then Flock completely and publicly disrespects her.
Let them have it, judge.
Flock, please leave also, you disrespectful liar.
Horrible outburst? Not even close.
I believe the threat was Mr. Dobrenieski job?
Now send a letter to juvenile court complaining about being disrespected by one of the judges magistrates that they find a new career and see the response you get. For that letter the judge needs to be taken down a notch or two.
Not buying it, 5:28...not even for a minute.
5:28 thinks that saying the sentence that perhaps taking someone's salary and paving a road with it instead is THREATENING SOMEONE'S JOB??? Don't be silly. And 5:28 doesn't think that Flock saying it WAS a threat and saying he would help the judge pack her bags, etc., was not entirely out of control at a council meeting...not to mention disrespectful and abusive of a citizen? Sorry, 5:28, not many would agree with you. The whole incident and Flock's reaction just goes to show how right the judge was when she talked about how badly the citizens are treated in this city.
You know, something occurred to me as I drove back into the City just a few minutes ago.
The City worries about resident's yards and the possibility of them growing weeds that are out of control.
However, no one under the Golden Dome seems to be very concerned with the tremendous job of landscaping on the site that was the hospital. Weeds are everywhere.
Furthermore, and this is my real point, City crews seem to make openings in the streets for all kinds of reasons. I would have to assume that such work is required and is generally some sort of emergency.
However, can any of you point to ANY opening in the street, done by the City, where the restoration was done properly? I see openings all over the entire City and I can't seem to find one. They always seem to do just enough to get by and many times it is only done after citizens complain about it.
When these opening are not properly restored, which is ALL the time, it only takes a year or two of Ohio winter weather and then we have a much bigger problem.
IMO, the City administration needs to get it's own house in order first.
So to understand some of you the Judges statement doesn't bother you? She does want an apology, she wants to know who turned her in, and a city employee will lose his job. Best guess I have is that the computers at the juvenile justice center found this site. Myself that's a very crass person you all work for!
9:47...yes, you are right. What about the horrible one on North State between Skinner and Elm. Enough to kill a bicycle rider or a motorcycle rider or wreck a car.
TERM 5:28? OR HOCKEY fLOCKEY?
Get over it, 10:08, she never threatened anybody's job! And even if she had, that would be absolutely no excuse for a council person to speak of her the way he did at a council meeting. Flock has decided not to run anymore, so he's finally starting to show his true colors. I wouldn't give you two cents for the jerk, and as far as Term calling him honest...you sure couldn't prove that by me, and quite the opposite.
7:37.
You must be 8:33 from the other post.
Too bad you have ZERO idea what you are writing about.
the city has to write themselves a letter for the grass and weeds between the rt 2 area all the way to prospect street on richmond st. the businesses there could also use some weed pulling, this is the entrance to our city from rt. 2 and almost always looks horrible and they should clean the sidewalks and fix the lights under the railroad bridge
Wow! Councilman Flock has served more years than most have lived in Painesville. He was the only council person to scream about the AMP deal yet the council person who did vote for this toxic deal is your council president! He is not my ward councilman but when my old council person did't respond Councilman Flock did. I seem to remember a woman in Councilman Flocks ward who didn't have drinking water and the old administration dragged their feet endlessly, finally relenting but adding a new water tax on your bill. The guy sat on council, often a war zone during the last regime, and choked down the garbage that went down in this city. Speaking of garbage, do you love the contract your last administration signed on garbage removal? Do I agree with the last outburst, no. Would I like to thank Councilman Flock for his years of service for a pittance of pay? Absolutely! Is he a pain in the butt because he wouldn't fast track bad deals others on council and the administration wanted to sign and move on at the detriment of the residents, yes! and for those who are so happy he is going to step down, I would like to ask you why you didn't run against him? He has run opposed the past few elections......hmmmmm.
4:16. That's your argument for Flock? If people didn't like the job he was doing, then they should have run against him...otherwise, he must have been good? Gee, I don't like the job President Obama is doing, but I guess I really do, because I don't want to run against him. And I don't like the job The News-Herald does with their insane, never correct, billing, but if I don't try to take over whomever's job it is to fix that, then it must mean it's okay and there's nothing really wrong with it. The argument doesn't hold. If you like him, good for you; it doesn't mean the people who don't are the ones with the problem. And if he helped you and two other people, wow; I'm just so impressed. But thanks for pointing out that the problem with him not doing his job lies with the people in his ward, because we really didn't know that until now.
It appears you seem to have problems with everyone? Who have you helped.
4:16 you seem kind of sarcastic and whinnie, I think you would be perfect for council. I'm sending the Waaaaaaa-bulance right over.
Ms. Miller it appears you and I live in a city where for the most part everyone is delusional? I for one would welcome a person like yourself on council but in the end you would probably hit the same wall councilman Flock hit. This council is not a governing body but more of a government joke.
8:20 on that we agree!
4:25
Where did you get that Sandy Miller said that because no one ran against him that he must be good??
If you are going to paraphrase someone at least have the courtesy to do it accurately.
That is not what she said but the effect is the same.
Is it his fault that he had no opposition?
What could he possibly do about that?
You must have all the answers because, according to you, Andy sure didn't.
If you don't like the way something is being done, stop bitching about it and get involved.
You can even do this at each and every Council meeting.
Otherwise you are a nameless, faceless, whining nothing.
The real truth is that very few people actually get involved in any cause or organization.
People like you just stand back and complain.
3:31,
The Waaaaaaa-bulance can then be sent to your house, along with a dictionary that might teach you how to spell "whiny".
Yes, that's exactly it; it's everyone else's fault, and it's due to everyone else's character flaws, that Flock didn't do his job for his ward for more than two decades. Thank goodness you people are so observant! And thank goodness he's finally leaving.
You people do know that every time you complain, point fingers and make accusations about the city employees you are drawing unwarranted attention to all? Simple posts as "the weeds are too high" "the cemetery is a mess". Those type of comments are likely to get a worker fired. Look, whose fault is it the work isn't getting done? Who pulled them away from their jobs to FINISH the streetscape? Everyone has a boss and the ultimate leader boss is the one making them do other work but because they cant be 2,3 or 4 places at the same time you are blaming the wrong people. Then figure out with what money is it going to be done with? You cant fix it without the funds to do it. Wait to see how long before this city is in the red.
It is a form letter, except for the details, and Lawson's response was that of a spoiled brat. She doesn't deserve an apology after that outburst. She is a judge? Yikes.
Hope her house sells quickly.
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