Developer pulls out of Portland after four decades: 'How can you be this dysfunctional?'
823,400
Published 2023-06-23
"This property was listed in January of 2021 for $795,000. Yesterday we sold it for $412,000," said Howard.
A significant loss, but Howard says he had nothing left in the tank. The tiny piece of property off Southeast Powell Boulevard, a former pizza parlor, has been a nightmare for the past three years.
"The supposed homeless came in and kicked in the door, the front door, and lived in it," said Howard. "And I waited until they came out, and I had to board it up."
But Howard says that didn't do much. They just broke in again and again, living inside and outside, even in his dumpster enclosure which they eventually set on fire. Howard says he got nowhere when he called the police.
ANGELICA THORNTON'S FULL REPORT: katu.com/news/local/developer-pulls-out-of-portlan…
"I said, 'Well, what does a homeowner do? What does a property owner do?' and they said, 'Call Central City Concern,'" said Howard. "I said "What will they do?' and they said, 'Well, they'll probably come out and give them a cup of coffee and some hot soup.'"
Howard looked into hiring a security guard, but that was too expensive at roughly $15,000 a month. So, he decided to get a fence, but the wait was four months.
"I said, 'Why?' and they said, 'Because homeowners like mad are fencing their property to keep the, you know, the drug addicts and the homeless out,'" said Howard.
So, the trash piled up, and Howard tried to keep up, but it wasn't enough. Last summer, the city hit him with a nuisance fine of nearly $540.
Howard paid the fine.
A month later, he got an even bigger bill, the original amount plus a penalty. The city told him they had lost his check. So, he paid the bill again, plus the extra $100.
"Two weeks later, they sent me another bill for 639 dollars and 71 cents," said Howard. "I called them up, and they said, "Well, this might be a duplicate bill, but we've already put a lien on your property."
The fence was finally installed, and Howard was able to clean up the property and eventually get the lien removed, but the drama dragged on for more than six months.
"I just remember the phrase 'The City That Works,'" said Howard. "The city that jerks, I mean, how can you be this dysfunctional?"
KATU News reached out to the bureau that fined Howard, Development Services. They confirmed there was an error, telling us "the issue was resolved" and "there's no outstanding balanced owed." We also asked Mayor Ted Wheeler's office for an interview. Wheeler has been vocal about improving livability, reducing taxes and fees, and restoring people's faith in Portland. A spokesman told us the Bureau of Development Services is not under Mayor Wheeler's Portfolio. Commissioner Carmen Rubio's office did not get back to us.
Kevin Howard shook his head as he walked through his now-former property.
"In the last year, 23,000 dollars. 13,000 for the fence, then there's the graffiti cleanup, painting the building," said Howard.
He spent $23,000 in one year just to manage the mess. But Howard, who founded Northwest Self Storage and owned 70 properties over the past four decades, says it isn't about this one address. This was just the last straw.
"I've been all over the world. I lived in Australia for a couple of years. I've been to all 50 states and all over," said Howard. "I came back to Portland, and I came back to Oregon because I loved it. I loved the people, the greenery, the lifestyle."
Howard became emotional as he turned to the boarded-up building. A bittersweet ending to his life and work in Oregon.
_______________
Stay up to date with our social media:
KATU on Facebook: www.facebook.com/katunews
KATU on Twitter: twitter.com/KATUNews
Subscribe to KATU on YouTube: / @katunews
Daily News Playlist: • KATU Daily News Playlist
For more information, visit katu.com/
Have a news tip? Send it directly to us:
Email us: [email protected]
Call the Newsroom: 503.231.4222
KATU is a OR based station and a ABC Television affiliate owned and operated by Sinclair Broadcast Group. Sinclair Broadcast Group, Inc. is one of the largest and most diversified television broadcasting companies in the country today.
#News #KATU #homelessness #Portland #homeless #businessowner
All Comments (21)
-
This man was way more patient than the city deserves.
-
So that's how the city keeps taking these properties. They let homeless trash the property then they hit the owner with liens. Absolutely disgusting.
-
They put a lien on his property for what criminals were doing ?
-
My family and I visited Portland in fall 2022 after years of wanting to go...was in disbelief at the homeless, mentally ill and drug use in the dowtown streets, watched a coffee shop owner wrestle with a guy trying to steal, saying when he gave away anything he would get swarmed. Advised not to leave hotel after dark. So very sad, not sure what the solution is. Would never go back. Clearly no leadership.
-
Portland has boundless compassion for junkies and criminals but none whatsoever for ordinary people trying to do the right thing every day.
-
This is pure genius. Let the bums squat on private property. Fine the property owner for the resulting mess. If the owner doesn't pay, put a lien on the property. The city makes money no matter what!
-
So sad. How can Portlanders elect such ineffective, disinterested government officials?!
-
Can’t blame him. I have lived in Portland most of my life, and I want out. Portland has been turned into a garbage heap. Used to be beautiful, clean and safe. To many corrupt officials. I wish this man nothing but success and healing.
-
Calling Portland a community is insulting
-
Sending the nuisance bill to him is adding insult to injury. The city deserves the bill, not him!
-
In Singapore, the homeless are removed from the streets. Nobody ever sees them again. Nobody asks about them.
-
The city took so much from him and treated him worse then the criminals, he gave so much to that community and in the end they screw him over
-
The city of Portland decided that the people that are not productive and are ruining the community and city, are more important than this man. Remember that.
-
This is the reality of "free housing for homeless, no cash bond criminal cases, not charging violent youth as adults in violent crimes, short prison sentences, etc".
-
Them charging him a nussance fee for the garbage the homeless are putting there is insane.
-
I recall going through Portland as a kid coming from Houston, I was about 10 at the time and it was year 2000. I remember thinking as we went through the city, and it's something my mom agreed with, that it was the cleanest city we had ever seen. Sure doesn't look like it anymore
-
Removing squatters should be as simple as a call to the police and have them tossed out. It should NOT be the responsibility of the property owner or to have to have it run through the courts to get results. It's a crazy system where they pander to the criminals and trespassers and fine the good people.
-
Poor guy. He is a pillar of that community and gets treated worse than a homeless criminal. Damn shame
-
When I visited Portland, The thing that’s stuck out to me, that I really didn’t like, was all these young able bodied people in their 20s, maybe early 30s just hanging out on the corners begging for money. It was just so accepted there that they were just doing that and doing nothing else.
-
Government officials need to see first hand the impact of their “well meaning” policies at the individual citizen level. This is one of millions of examples.
