Victory for Tenants in Six Low-Income Buildings

“Cincinnati Legal Aid, working with the City of Cincinnati, the Greater Cincinnati Homeless Coalition and HUD had a huge victory in court today,” stated Nicholas DiNardo, managing attorney Housing and Consumer, Legal Aid Society of Southwest Ohio.  Judge Beth Myers agreed to appoint Jodi Ridings of Milhaus Management as the Receiver for more than 600 units of Project-based Section 8 housing in Cincinnati.  Puretz Enterprises of NY/ NJ purchased these properties two years ago and failed to make even basic repairs or provide for safety or professional management at any of the properties.  The lenders have agreed to provide both reserve funds and additional funds for capital improvements to the Receiver so that the Properties can be stabilized.

Virginia Tallent was lead counsel in the case, assisted by Stephanie Moes, Amanda Toole and Nicholas DiNardo.  Mark Manning with the City of Cincinnati Solicitor’s office originally filed this case and has worked cooperatively with Legal Aid to protect the tenants and abate the public nuisance at the Properties.  Dan Burke, Regional HUD director and Bill Lane, HUD Assistant General Counsel, attended the hearings and were extremely helpful in directing the HAP payments to the Receiver and preventing the abatement of the HAP contracts.  See local news coverage of this decision:  http://local12.com/news/local/judge-appoints-receiver-to-take-over-five-nuisance-properties