BEMIDJI 鈥� After a resident of the Ridgeway Court II apartments in Bemidji filed an Emergency Tenant Remedies Action, alleging that the complex was not kept in reasonable repair, a Ninth Judicial District Judge has ordered the property鈥檚 landlords to increase security.
According to court documents, the court order, issued on April 7, requires landlords NETA Property Management Inc., Reed Sabbe and Judith Triebwasser, all of whom are based in Fargo, to install a steel door at the building鈥檚 north entrance along with an alarm or monitoring system to improve the building鈥檚 security.
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鈥淲e are pleased that the court issued emergency orders for the landlord to improve security," said Reed Olson, executive director of the Nameless Coalition for the Homeless, who testified on behalf of the tenants.
This comes after multiple instances of illegal access to the complex which led to the installation of security cameras.
These, according to the defendants, were then spray painted over and individuals attempted to gain access to the building through other means, including breaking in through windows.
"This case highlights the problem of absentee landlords who fail to comply with their legal duties to maintain the facilities and the safety of their tenants," Olson said.
Initial legal action was taken by a tenant on Feb. 16, who cited concerns that the complex was not kept in reasonable repair. These concerns included not being able to heat the apartment to maintain 60 to 65 degrees Fahrenheit without opening an oven door.
The tenant testified that the loss of heat in their apartment affected their medical conditions, and the need to use the oven to heat the residence posed risks for themselves and their grandchild who lives with them.
Additional concerns were related to windows and doors not being kept in reasonable repair, making the building unsafe, and the apartment鈥檚 laundry facilities not being kept in a usable condition.
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An attorney for the landlords attested on Feb. 25 that the issues had been resolved, but after the problems persisted, the resident filed an Emergency Tenant Remedies Action which sought a court order to require the landlords to address these concerns.
According to court documents, Judge Jeanine R. Brand of the Ninth Judicial District heard the case and decided that the problems with heating and security were enough to be considered emergencies, and issued a court order for them to be addressed.
A later hearing was scheduled for March 29 to review compliance with this order.
At this hearing testimony was heard from Sabbe on what actions had been taken, and from Olson who spoke on the conditions of the property.
When the hearing concluded Brand found that the problems with heating had been resolved but that the issues with security were ongoing.
This led to another court order that requires the landlords to install a steel door with mortise locks at the north entrance, and install an alarm and/or other monitoring systems that will notify management if a breach of the door occurs so it can be expeditiously remedied, documents said.
Another hearing has been scheduled for May 4.
