BCFD Was Here: 413, 419, and 423 Whitridge Avenue

Thanks to Reader M for the photos!

Imagine living in one of these occupied homes, next to a structurally unsound vacant.  Note the red placards placed by the fire department to indicate a structural hazard — would you want that home as your next-door neighbor?

413, 419, and 423 Whitridge Avenue, unsafe vacants that could collapse — dotted between occupied homes.

Owner of 413 Whitridge Avenue:  Bruno Mpoko-Grela, PO Box 2949, Montgomery Village, MD 20886 or 17 Granite Place, #380, Gaithersburg, MD 20878

Closeup of 419 Whitridge — the rear of this home, and the roof, have caved in. Only the front facade remains.

Owner of 419 Whitridge Avenue:  Equity Trust Co., 5401 Elsrode Avenue, Baltimore, MD 21214/Terry Trimble and Janet Marnien-Trimble, same address.

Owner of 423 Whitridge Avenue:  Mayor and City Council, 417 E Fayette Street, Baltimore, MD 21202

City Council District and Contact: District 12, Carl Stokes

A Broken System: One Neighbor’s Ongoing Saga

I thought it would be interesting, and potentially helpful, to post the ongoing saga one person has endured while trying to report a negligent property owner and the city’s lack of response to a citizen.

Fall 2011

Vacant was reported through the City’s 311 system, as a piece of the cornice was coming off and could be hazardous to anyone walking below. Baltimore Housing had previously issued a vacant notice for the property (254531A), so it’s not a stretch to assume they’re aware of the property’s poor condition.

December 2011

Emails to Carl Stokes (City Councilman for District 12) go unanswered.  Emails to sent to the Charles Village Civic Association and Greater Homewood Community Corporation were answered.  The building was condemned, and the hanging piece of cornice has been removed.

Mid-February 2012 to Present

After many emails back and forth between the neighbor and various agencies and neighborhood associations, 6 months later the home is still in the same blighted condition with open windows and rear door, there are no citations or violation notices against the property owner, and no response from Baltimore Housing.

The city has a “slumlord court”, Baltimore Housing has inspectors and attorneys — what we can’t understand is how few negligent property owners are actually prosecuted and/or fined.  So many of them seem to get away with leaving their homes in this kind of condition — with no repercussions.

Please note — the owner of this property is a large-scale city slumlord and a marketing professor at Towson Universty.  Also note, this property is on the route for many children who walk to the Barclay School.

Property Address:  345 E 28th Street, Baltimore, MD 21218

Property Owner:  CE Realty, LLC, 3210 Labyrinth Road, Baltimore, MD 21218

Resident Agent for CE Realty:  Ephraim Weingarten, same address

City Council District and Representative:  District 12, Carl Stokes

345 E 28th Street

345 E 28th Street, side view

205 E Preston Street

A shame this lovely home has been left to rot — hopefully it can be saved.  All of the papers stuck to the door are vacant dwelling notices, and notices from Baltimore Housing.  The most recent was posted in January of this year.

Property Address:  205 E Preston Street, Baltimore, MD 21202

Property Owner:  Ronald Derr, same address

City Council District and Contact:  District 12, Carl Stokes

205 E Preston Street

WWJD? 310 and 312 E 23rd Street

More church-owned blight.

Property address:  310 and 312 E 23rd Street, Baltimore, MD 21218

Property Owner:  Ebenezer Baptist Church, 2301 Guilford Avenue, Baltimore, MD 21218

Registered Agent for Ebenezer Baptist Church:  Ardelia Lokeman, same address

City Council District and Contact:  District 12, Carl Stokes

310 and 312 E 23rd Street

HABC-Owned Blight: 321 E 24th Street

Property Address:  321 E 24th Street, Baltimore, MD 21218

Property Owner:  Housing Authority of Baltimore City, 417 E Fayette Street, Baltimore, MD 21202

City Council District and Contact:  District 12, Carl Stokes

321 E 24th Street

BCFD Was Here – City-Owned Blight: 2458 Brentwood Avenue

Property Address: 2458 Brentwood Avenue, Baltimore, MD 21218

Property Owner: Mayor and City Council, 417 E Fayette Street, Baltimore, MD 21202

City Council District and Contact: District 12, Carl Stokes

2458 Brentwood Avenue, marked with a red X to indicate added danger for firefighters.

2400 Loch Raven Road

Property Address:  2400 Loch Raven Road, Baltimore, MD 21218

Property Owner:  Mkufu London, 3002 11th Street, NW, Washington, DC 20001.

City Council District and Contact:  District 12, Carl Stokes

P. Flanigan & Sons (owners of adjacent blighted homes) filed to foreclose rights of redemption on this home in 2010, the case was dismissed.

2400 Loch Raven Road

317 E 24th Street

Property Address:  317 E 24th Street, Baltimore, MD 21218

Property Owner:  Seaboard Management, LLC, 2205 Warwick Way, #205, Marriottsville, MD 21104

Resident Agent for Seaboard Management: Larry E. Porter, 3229 Corporate Court, Ellicott City, MD 21042

City Council District and Contact: District 12, Carl Stokes

317 E 24th Street

BCFD Was Here: 715 and 713 Bartlett Avenue

Property Address:  715 and 713 Bartlett Avenue, Baltimore, MD 21218

Property Owner (715):  Steinberg Properties, Inc., PO Box 44985, Washington, DC 20744 (Not in good standing, corporate charter has been forfeited).

Registered Agent for Steinberg Properties: David Gilmore, 12100 Ballina Court, Ft. Washington, MD 20744

Property Owner (713):  Carl G. Hardy, Sr. Same address.

City Council District and Contact:  District 12, Carl Stokes

715 and 713 Bartlett Avenue

630 and 632 Cokesbury Avenue

Property Address:  630 and 632 Cokesbury Avenue, Baltimore, MD 21218

Property Owner (630):  R&M Development Company, Inc., same address. (Not in good standing, charter has been forfeited.)

Registered Agent for R&M Development: Katherine Gibson, 604 Winston Avenue, Baltimore, MD 21212

Property Owner (632):  DFM Realty, Inc., 30 E 25th Street, Baltimore, MD 21218  (Not in good standing, charter has been forfeited.)

Registered Agent for DFM Realty:  Larry Dale Martin, Dr., same address

City Council District and Contact:  District 12, Carl Stokes

630 and 632 Cokesbury Avenue