Bad Landlord Condemned to be Resident in his Own Building

By Anastacia Mott Austin

Every tenant who has suffered at the hands of an unsympathetic landlord should feel some vindication today.

Cleveland area municipal judge Patrick Carroll sentenced landlord Richard Naumann yesterday to live in one of his own apartment buildings until heat and gas services have been restored to the residence. According to local newspaper The Plain Dealer), tenants at two of Naumann’s buildings have been without heat for almost two months, and without gas service for over a month.

Whitney Ashworth and her boyfriend spoke with Molly Kavanaugh, a reporter for The Plain Dealer. The couple has been living at the Lake Avenue apartment for about a year. On April 2nd, two days before a huge snowstorm hit the area, they were suddenly without heat and hot water. They used boiled water for bathing and dishes. Two weeks after they lost their heat, gas service to the apartments was cut off, leaving them with no working gas appliances. Since they could no longer use their oven or stove, they were forced to the homes of family and friends for hot meals and showers. The couple told Kavanaugh that despite withholding their rent payments when the gas was turned off, they are still "in the red."

Court documents show that landlord Naumann owes the local gas company, Dominion East Ohio, almost $114,000 in overdue charges. However, the company will accept $22,300 to turn the utilities back on. A representative for Dominion stated that the company allows at least 60 days for delinquent payments to be resolved, and that special arrangement for payments can be made. "Disconnect is the last resort," said the spokesperson.

Judge Carroll sentenced Naumann to wear an electronic ankle bracelet to ensure that he remains in the residence, permitting him to leave just to go to work. He will be allowed to leave the building only when services at the building have been restored.