Colonial Village: 'Help is here' says city attorney

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- Colonial Village tenants will experience a change in property management after a court ordered a receiver take over the complex.

Improvements should follow soon, say the city attorney's office.

On Monday, Franklin County Court of Common Pleas ordered that Robert J. Weiler, Sr., will become the receiver to the 508-unit complex at Rand Avenue, on the east side of Columbus.

City Attorney Zach Klein and Columbus Division of Police have been working to clean up the apartment complex which had been plagued by crime and unsanitary living conditions.

From March 2020 through Aug. 2021, Columbus Police responded to approximately 1,500 calls for service at Colonial Village, according to Klein, adding that Columbus Fire responded more than 700 times since January 2019 for drug overdoses, injuries due to assault, shootings, stabbings, and DOA calls.

Additionally, court documents stated that in October of 2019, the city’s code enforcement department started inspections of the property due to complaints from tenants and community members. As a result, the city issued more than 400 notice violations, including bed bugs, rodent and roach infestations, water damage, lack of utilities, missing or broken smoke detectors, as well as many more violations.

This led to the city filing a motion for contempt against Apex Colonial Oh. LLC.

In September, the owners of the complex were fined $50,000 for failing to bring the property into compliance.

Once the court-mandated improvements are made the property will be sold, Klein said in a press release on Thursday.

There were earlier attempts to get the property owners to make those improvements.

“For years, we’ve worked alongside CPD and Code Enforcement to improve conditions at Colonial Village, and this action is major victory to improve the quality of life of residents,” said Klein in a media release on Thursday. “Transferring day-to-day operations will expedite remediation and ensure this property is brought into compliance. Residents have suffered far too long, and now, help is here.”

Additionally, the court permitted Weiler to hire Hayes Gibson Property Services, LLC as property manager for Colonial Village, the medial release said. With over 65 years of experience, Hayes Gibson is a leading expert in the multifamily affordable housing industry, with expertise in property operations, financial management, regulatory compliance, facilities maintenance, value recovery, and resident and community relations.

After obtaining the nuisance order, the City Attorney filed a joint motion to appoint Weiler as receiver of the premises. Weiler currently serves as Chairman of the Board of the Robert Weiler Company, and has served as the Chairman of the Ohio Real Estate Appraiser Board, as well as President of the Ohio Chapter of Appraisal Institute and the Columbus Board of Realtors, the media release said.