Crime rate at Riley Court apartments may lead to legal action against owner
The ‘wild west’ days of an Ypsilanti Township apartment complex could soon be coming to a close.
Throughout stretches in the last five years, Ypsilanti Township’s Riley Court has been a haven for criminal activity, and has demanded an especially high amount of police resources in 2012, authorities say.
Now, they are hopeful the combined efforts of the Washtenaw County Sheriff’s Department and Ypsilanti Township’s Office of Community Standards will permanently clean up the East Michigan Avenue apartment complex.
Ypsilanti Township' s Riley Court has required a significant amount of police resources.
Tom Perkins | For AnnArbor.com
Through the end of August, the Sheriff’s Department had responded to 96 calls at Riley Court, which Sheriff’s Department Lt. Jim Anuszkiewicz says is especially high given the complex’s small size. It only has 30 units, and police have responded to calls at 24 of those.
"We don’t have any complexes as small as this with as high of a volume of calls," he said.
Included in Riley Court’s rap sheet is arson, sexual assault, felony warrant arrests, armed assault, animal complaints, disorderly persons, prostitution, narcotics possession, narcotics distribution, shots fired complaints and noise complaints. The Sheriff’s Department also has recovered stolen cars from other jurisdictions and accompanied the township officials to enforce ordinance violations.
Ypsilanti Township Attorney Doug Winters said the situation is beginning to resemble Liberty Square.
"It's quite a telling summary with the amount resources expended at Riley Court in 2012 alone," Winters said. "Keep in mind there are 30 units — that's not many units to have that many calls."
Most recently, the Sheriff’s Department conducted an operation targeting a heroin dealer operating part-time out of the complex, but was unable to nab him.
Officials said the complex’s owner, Stewart Beal, is not addressing issues there and seems to be neglecting the property.
Beal did not respond to requests for an interview from AnnArbor.com.
Anuszkiewicz said the disrepair helps attract crime. The conditions are serious enough that the Ypsilanti Township Board of Trustees approved township staff taking legal action against Beal.
“There is a lot of information that comes out of Riley Court as it relates to criminal activity,” Anuszkiewicz said. “It doesn’t appear that the ownership cares about how the complex looks or has undertaken any effort to improve the quality of life there.
“There are a number of different factors contributing to the problem, but the condition of the complex, the lack of the ownership taking care of it — in my opinion, that ultimately attracts the criminal element.”
The location and layout of the complex also plays a role in the issues, Anuszkiewicz said. Riley Court is isolated behind several businesses off East Michigan Avenue. The businesses also are upset about the issues.
There is only one entrance and exit and it abuts an abandoned trailer park that is in the process of being cleaned.
“Location has been a big factor,” Anuszkiewicz said. He said the department has been dealing with crime problems at Riley Court for years and the complex briefly was cleaned up after Beal and the township were in court for similar issues in 2008, but it has again fallen to disrepair.
“We’ve gone full circle and continue to see the problems,” he said.
Comments
Brett Allen
Thu, Sep 27, 2012 : 5:31 p.m.
Ypsilanti Township Attorney Doug Winters said "the situation is beginning to resemble Liberty Square." what does he mean by this?
greg, too
Thu, Sep 13, 2012 : 3:47 a.m.
Just tear the whole thing down and sell it.
notnecessary
Fri, Sep 14, 2012 : 7:12 a.m.
obviously, there is a ton of money to be made in your proposal Greg, --- I heard vacant land is going for a premium over there off E. Michigan avenue, the supply cant meet the demand.
Zelda
Thu, Sep 13, 2012 : 10:43 a.m.
I agree...create a highrise!
genetracy
Wed, Sep 12, 2012 : 9:26 p.m.
Section 8 housing and crime go hand in hand.
moveover2012
Wed, Sep 12, 2012 : 8:44 p.m.
Well what can a tenant DOE? If the owner doesnot clean up or remodel the place? going to the city building inspector ?Asking for help? calling on City hall? calling the councilmen/women? and still nothing gets done! When the landlord will not meet with the tenants? When the Health department refused to inspect? when HUD or MSDA only inspect "the clean Apartments"? The only time a landlord ACTS/when the rent is not on TIME! Every thing else doesnot matter. Health iusses,pets. ants.bedbugs,garbages etc etc
michaywe
Wed, Sep 12, 2012 : 6:19 p.m.
Ypsi Twp. Office of Community Standards has become too accessible to this free lance author! So much (bad) publicity is giving the township a bad name.
Judy
Wed, Sep 12, 2012 : 5:42 p.m.
"There is a lot of information that comes out of Riley Court as it relates to criminal activity," Anuszkiewicz said. "It doesn't appear that the ownership cares about how the complex looks or has undertaken any effort to improve the quality of life there. "There are a number of different factors contributing to the problem, but the condition of the complex, the lack of the ownership taking care of it — in my opinion, that ultimately attracts the criminal element." As far as I am concern these statements are "BULL". People who are involved with arson, sexual assault, felony warrant arrests, armed assault, animal complaints, disorderly persons, prostitution, narcotics possession, narcotics distribution, shots fired complaints and noise complaints can be living in million dollar homes. I am not saying the owner should not care for the units but the condition of the unit is not the cause for the crime rate!
ahi
Wed, Sep 12, 2012 : 6:43 p.m.
If the owner doesn't maintain his property no one but the dregs of society will want to live there. Even if Beal wanted to be picky about who he rents to (he obviously doesnt), he wouldn't have enough respectable applicants.
nickcarraweigh
Wed, Sep 12, 2012 : 4:40 p.m.
Lost in the hubub here is good news, really. All of us will sometimes get in the mood where we are, at least temporarily, not in a frame of mind to play well with others. Now, we have a place to go.
SGourmet
Wed, Sep 12, 2012 : 4:08 p.m.
As with the Thompson Building devastation, this is what happens when a little boy is given more than he can handle.
Mike
Wed, Sep 12, 2012 : 10:11 p.m.
I've seen some of his work....not so good........
anti-thug
Wed, Sep 12, 2012 : 3:10 p.m.
why is this in the news now?
anti-thug
Thu, Sep 13, 2012 : 3:12 a.m.
vist my home town Eastside Detriot lol thats scary!!
Rod Johnson
Thu, Sep 13, 2012 : 2:35 a.m.
Because it's happening now? Is this a trick question?
anti-thug
Wed, Sep 12, 2012 : 3:08 p.m.
this sounds like places in downtown Ann Arbor and some campus areas...
anti-thug
Thu, Sep 13, 2012 : 3:17 a.m.
Riley Court isnt that bad ....no murders ..so lets compare to ann arbor. burglary , robberry's high assults. more of those area in ann arbor.
anti-thug
Thu, Sep 13, 2012 : 3:15 a.m.
I wouldnt advice you too go walk streets of Ann Arbor at night anyway...your never too fearway from thug hang spot..downtown is common place for crime.
Rod Johnson
Thu, Sep 13, 2012 : 2:34 a.m.
Pinelake is in no way "downtown Ann Arbor," and neither Arrowwood nor Pinelake on the worst day they ever had is anything like Riley Court.
Rod Johnson
Thu, Sep 13, 2012 : 2:31 a.m.
Ridiculous.
anti-thug
Thu, Sep 13, 2012 : 1:49 a.m.
go to Pinelake Village Cooperative , the kids just wait for you in 2 in the morning .....I was a pizza man in 90's and used deliver too Arrowwood intill i was injuried in a strong arm robbery they stoped delvering in that area . after that.
MIKE
Wed, Sep 12, 2012 : 9:20 p.m.
Name one, and I'll walk through it at night, while you walk through Riley Court.
LA
Wed, Sep 12, 2012 : 2:21 p.m.
I'm appalled that this is the same Beal that is in charge of the big building in Depot Town. I was hoping he was a good guy! I'm really disappointed. Tell us more about the Toledo place please.
Ross
Wed, Sep 12, 2012 : 4:22 p.m.
So his chronic mis-statements about the depot town (Thompson block) project timeline and general negligence to get it taken care of quickly and properly made you think he was a "good guy" ? I got the opposite impression from that debacle.
Therese
Wed, Sep 12, 2012 : 1:46 p.m.
It appears that Beal was able to buy up a variety of 'fixer upper' properties upon starting out on his own. Putting myself in his shoes, he probably felt with his background and resources he could restore these properties and aide the community... Unfortunately, the timing was poor and the scale too grand. Clients aren't paying. It is hard to perform maintenance when your staff is afraid for their safety. It is time to team up with the Washtenaw County Sheriff and Ypsilanti Township.
ahi
Wed, Sep 12, 2012 : 6:40 p.m.
From personal experience his staff are disorganized and incompetent. I will give them the benefit of the doubt and blame management. He keeps buying more properties so he clearly has the resources to actually maintain what he has, but he chooses not to.
Dog Guy
Wed, Sep 12, 2012 : 12:40 p.m.
Government is rightly concerned about Stewart Beal's moving in on its crime-ridden low-income housing monopoly.
Rod Johnson
Thu, Sep 13, 2012 : 2:30 a.m.
Do tell. Details please.
simply amazed
Wed, Sep 12, 2012 : 1:28 p.m.
If you think this is bad, you should get a load of his crime-ridden low-income housing project in Toledo. This place looks like Club-med compared to Toledo.
current
Wed, Sep 12, 2012 : 12:38 p.m.
Let's hope cleaning up Riley Court doesn't take as long as his fire job in Depot Town!
dexterreader
Wed, Sep 12, 2012 : 12:37 p.m.
This complex was rough when I worked in the area 20 years ago. These stories are nothing new, but it certainly seems to be a haven for increased criminal activity now. I do not know the exact condition of the apartments, and I feel bad for the tenants who are not mixed up in criminal activity, but maybe a wrecking ball might be the answer?
EyeHeartA2
Wed, Sep 12, 2012 : 12:17 p.m.
"Officials said the complex's owner, Stewart Beal, is not addressing issues there and seems to be neglecting the property." Stewart Beal? Say it isn't so!!! I thought he was forthright, honest and fair, just with a seeming endless stream of bad luck and getting hassled by the man.
ahi
Wed, Sep 12, 2012 : 6:37 p.m.
Mike, everything after your first sentence is false.
Mike
Wed, Sep 12, 2012 : 3:52 p.m.
It's all about money, if he wasn't getting money from these tenants he would evict them. It's really not his responsibility what the people who live in his places do when there. It's a visciuos circle. He can't get the rents he would need to make the improvements therefore he cannot make the improvements. This is a piece of property that would probably be vacant and abandoned if these folks didn't live there and they you'd have a worse situation if that's even possible. Not and easy fix, plus these people are protected by tenant laws which make it really difficult to evict..........
Bcar
Wed, Sep 12, 2012 : 11:58 a.m.
Of course! A paint job and maybe some art will clean the place right up!!
Robert Granville
Wed, Sep 12, 2012 : 11:51 a.m.
"We've gone full circle and continue to see the problems." The story of our country's war on drugs. We could end this right now... all of it.
sheepyd
Wed, Sep 12, 2012 : 1:04 p.m.
Robert, You pose an interesting question about the war on drugs and if it should continue, I have a question if you don't mind responding? If a person lives their life making a living as a drug dealer, that is to say they are breaking the law and living outside of what society has deemed as an appropriate way to earn a living; perhaps they illegally carry firearms for protection and have assaulted people in the past for non-payment of drugs etc.... Do you think when they legalize drugs these people become normal members of society? Secondly, If a person is a heroin addict whose addiction is so severe they can't hold a job or function as a normal human being for any amount of time do you think when they legalize drugs this individual gets a job and says finally I can just got to work high on heroin? Your assertion about the war on drugs is flawed because you've obviously never worked with drug addicts or drug dealers, give it a shot and let me know if legalizing drugs is a good idea. Bottom line is if drugs are legalized then drug dealers find another way to make their money illegally because getting a real job isn't in the cards because their lazy and immoral, as for the heroin and crack addicts yeah I'm sure the day drugs are legalized they all enroll in college or trade school to finish their education. Way to think it through.
Billy
Wed, Sep 12, 2012 : 11:19 a.m.
Lol. This was a classic "No deliveries after dark" spot for ypsi pizza joints. Along with west willow, south side, and the bad part of MacArthur.
oyxclean
Wed, Sep 12, 2012 : 3:07 p.m.
"Ethnic make up statement by those who don't live in a particular community so they don't know", Huh? No one brought up race or ethnicity...except you.
YpsiGirl4Ever
Wed, Sep 12, 2012 : 1:15 p.m.
WRONG---Ethnic make up statement by those who don't live in a particular community so they don't know,, assume inaccurate information, along with type ethnic based made up false assumptions on Ann Arbor.com. Pizza Deliveries in the Day, Afternoon and Night have been going on in West Willow for many YEARS.
Ricebrnr
Wed, Sep 12, 2012 : 10:46 a.m.
I wonder if at least one of those other contributing factors is the residents not giving enough of a damn. I don't believe this can all be laid at the feet of the owner. Chicken and egg, who stopped caring first?
akronymn
Wed, Sep 12, 2012 : 5:53 p.m.
Also BCar why would calling out shady people get you called a racist. Do you assume that only one race or another looks shady?
Angry Moderate
Wed, Sep 12, 2012 : 5:43 p.m.
A background check and credit check on every tenant would work wonders.
RuralMom
Wed, Sep 12, 2012 : 12:22 p.m.
Bcar, its called a criminal back ground check, paid for by the party asking to be accepted into the community. There are many things a landlord can do to mitigate these kind of tenants, only the lazy ones don't!
Bcar
Wed, Sep 12, 2012 : 11:57 a.m.
Patty, is the owner able to tell good from bad people? Is he able to say "you look shady, I'm not going to rent to you..." if he did that, he'd be labeled a racist and prob sued.
Ignatz
Wed, Sep 12, 2012 : 11:50 a.m.
I suspect this is one of the places where giving a damn would get you killed.
Patty Bradley
Wed, Sep 12, 2012 : 11:29 a.m.
But the owners rent to known drug dealers. My brother moved in there a couple of years ago, and it wasn't nearly as bad then. The owners let worse and worse people move in. Fortunately, my brother has now moved out, and the owner let him slide on his last month's rent because he knows how bad it was for him.