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How to Fight a Slumlord A fighting manual for block clubs and community groups. *Visit our website http://projectslumlord.squarespace.com First Step: Find out who your slumlord is 1. Visit City of Buffalo Property Information website http://www.ci.buffalo.ny.us/applications/propertyinformation/default.aspx • Type in address of problem property or Landlord if you already know name • Here you can get information about when the property was purchased and for how much. • The Property will be listed as owned by either an individual or an LLC. • Sometimes a property owner will be listed here as an LLC and without an actual name or address. 2. Is the property owned by an LLC? If yes, visit the Erie County Property Information website http://www2.erie.gov/ecrpts/index.php?q=real-‐property-‐parcel-‐search • Type in address of problem property • Now you have the owner’s name and address • You can also do a Google search for the address ! By searching the address of the owner, Google will identify the owner by name even if it is an LLC. 3. Do you want to know how many properties a landlord owns? •
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Go to the City of Buffalo Property Information website http://www.ci.buffalo.ny.us/applications/propertyinformation/default.aspx Do search by owner. This will give you a list of all other properties owned by that individual or LLC. Now you can contact the owner! Step 2: Contact the property owner A good first step is to reach out to the owner, and be nice. You never know if the owner is unaware of problem tenants. An owner may not know how a property is affecting the neighbors. Sometimes, landlords just are having a hard time keeping up. You never know when someone would be willing to sell, so make the effort. 1. Contact the owner and let them know what the problems are: property is not being maintained, loud noisy tenants, illegal activity, sidewalks not shoveled, litter around property 2. Be specific about impact that the property is having to the neighborhood and the street: causing blight, promoting drug and illegal activity, reducing property values, deterrent to finding good tenants. Sample of outreach letter: https://drive.google.com/?urp=http://www.bing.com/search?q%3Dgoogle%2520do
c%26pc%3Dcondu&pli=1&authuser=0#my-‐drive The Kleinhans Community used this outreach letter to let property owners know that neighbors care about the community and different assistance that is out there for rehabs 3. Follow up with the owner regarding progress owner has made with start of rehab or getting rid of bad tenants (this process can take time, be patient). ! Document your attempt to reach out via a copy of your email or phone log (may be helpful in housing court). ! Use the 3 strikes rule: After you have reached out to problem landlord, followed up with landlord 2-‐3x then send a warning letter that you will be reporting problems to 311, 911 and city inspections. ! No results? Time to call 311 Report the property to 311 and 911 1. Start calling 911 and 311 to report the property to the city of Buffalo every chance you get. ! The 311 telephone line is available from 8:30 am to 4:30 pm Monday-‐Friday. ! After hours or on weekends, call 911 and report a non-‐emergency. ! For criminal activity, always call 911. 2. Get neighbors and tenants involved with calling city on the property. ! The more calls, the better your case if you go to housing court 3. For excessive 911 and 311 calls, contact your Community Police Officer. The slumlord may be charged and fined under Bawdy House Laws. Flyer to handout to tenants and neighbors of problem property so they know what can be reported. The more people filing complaints the better https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B4GbIwiLZaXGQWdwSDdrQnc0LUU/edit?usp=sharing 4. Property can also be reported online to the city 311 http://www.ci.buffalo.ny.us/Home/City_Departments/Citizens_Services/311_Self-‐
Service/311_Service_Request !
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Report sidewalks that are not shoveled, quality of life issues like loud noise, music, litter, graffiti, etc. All reports are confidential and you can leave your email address or not. Always get the case number so you can find out what happened to the case “This winter I targeted 1 landlord who does not shovel his 2 properties in Allentown, by reporting property to 311 online every time it snowed he was fined $ 555.00 this winter for not shoveling. Now he’s talking about selling. Another property that I targeted was fined $277.50 and she put the house on the market and sold it in less than a month. It is about taking the profit out of being a slumlord.” Hudson Street Resident !No Results? Get ready for Housing Court
Step 4: Go to Housing Court Building Inspectors write up houses for Housing Court after a certain period of non-‐compliance. What to do next? 1. Find out when house will be in court ! Call Inspectors office 851-‐4921 and ask when a property will be in court ! Go to NYS Unified Court System website to find cases ! https://iapps.courts.state.ny.us/housing/ !
Search by owner name to find out if the owner has been in housing court previously 2. Find out who your Housing Court liaison is !
List of Liaisons by district with email address attached 3. Write letter to your liaisons explaining problems so they can let court know 4. Bring all your emails and phone logs of how you have reached out to this owner to prove that there has been no effort to fix the property. 5. Go to court and get your neighbors to go to court to testify on behalf of the community 6. Ask for maximum sentence ! Know the law and city ordinance http://ecode360.com/BU1237 Submitting FOIL requests (Freedom of Information Law) FOIL reports can provide additional information about the number and type of violations. Usually there is no charge for electronic records, but print copies carry a charge per page. !
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Erie County FOIL information o http://www2.erie.gov/exec/index.php?q=freedom-‐information-‐law City of Buffalo FOIL for 311 calls o http://www.citybuffalo.com/files/1_2_1/city_departments/law/FOIL_Reques
tForm.pdf o This is the pdf file. Copy onto your computer or print out. Mail the FOIL to the City of Buffalo Departments or email to the head of city department o For 311 calls on a property attach Foil Request and email to Division of Citizen Services o To get 911 call email Foil request to City of Buffalo Police department o To get Fire Department investigations, email City of Buffalo Fire department To Do List
Follow Project Slumlord on Facebook. Pick a Slumlord (an owner of a problem property who does not live at a residence and is not in proximity). Research your Slumlord. Reach out to your Slumlord: email or phone call. Tell the slumlord about the problems you are having and ask for a solution. Reach out to your district Housing Court Liaison. Introduce yourself and report your problem property. Ask for help. Email, call, write letters to the news: Buffalo News -‐ citydesk@buffnews.com, 856-‐5150 Channel 2 -‐ http://archive.wgrz.com/company/contact/accountable/ Channel 4 -‐ http://wivb.com/ Channel 7 -‐ 7 Broadcast Plaza Buffalo, NY 14202 716-‐845-‐6100 http://www.wkbw.com/about/contact Tell the media about the problems Slumlords are causing in your neighborhood and request that they do more stories on slumlords Report your progress on Project Slumlord Facebook page. Connect with other people and Block Clubs who may be fighting the same slumlord. Report trash, litter, long grass to 311 every week Tell your neighbors about calling 311 and 911 ☐
Flyer neighborhood with reminders to call 311/911 about problem properties.