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Wednesday, September 30, 2009

What Name In Salisbury Will Replace Klotz?

Serial slumlord: Timothy Klotz in spotlight after fatal fire

When he set up shop here early this decade, Timothy Klotz had a plan to buy run-down buildings in the city’s poorest sections cheaply, fix them up and fill the apartments with tenants. Klotz and his brother Richard, a retired Utica police officer, worked out of a Park Avenue office where a sign on the door read: “Above Par Properties.” They were collecting rent from 140

http://www.uticaod.com/archive/x1128383648/Serial-slumlord-Timothy-Klotz-in-spotlight-after-fatal-fire



‘Money meant more than people’s lives’

More than a decade ago, a fire tore through a six-unit apartment building on Thompson Circle, a quiet street in this working-class city on Massachusetts’ North Shore. The building — managed by Timothy Klotz — had become a haven for drugs, prostitution and piles of garbage, nearby residents said last week. Ten firefighters and two occupants were injured, but residents were glad

http://www.uticaod.com/archive/x1128383656/-Money-meant-more-than-people-s-lives

Roefaro: Codes and fire departments may merge

Utica Mayor David Roefaro said this morning the city may look at combining all or parts of the city’s codes and fire departments.

http://www.uticaod.com/archive/x1789531135/Roefaro-Codes-and-fire-departments-may-merge

Tue Sep 29 00:00:00 EDT 2009

Fire prompting city to re-examine enforcement approaches

Last weekend’s fatal fire on James Street has led some city officials to call for better codes and fire enforcement for multi-unit apartment buildings. Roefaro administration officials say they’re doing the best they can to keep the pressure on landlords such as Timothy Klotz, and that increasingly sophisticated approaches will strengthen the city’s efforts.

http://www.uticaod.com/archive/x1699600505/Fire-prompting-city-to-re-examine-enforcement-approaches

Sun Sep 27 00:00:00 EDT 2009

Did Utica drop the ball?

The Roefaro administration failed to act in July 2008 when landlord Timothy Klotz didn’t respond to a court order to register the scene of Sunday’s fatal blaze for fire inspections, a state courts spokesman said Wednesday. Related content: GALLERY: Fire burns into late morning GALLERY: Firefighters battle

http://www.uticaod.com/archive/x593049787/Court-City-failed-to-take-action-on-Klotzs-fire-inspection-registration

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

It's only a matter of time before a fire like this takes lives in Salisbury.

Anonymous said...

Utica, NY is one of those cities that saw its population dwindle with the departure of industry. It was designated an immigrant settlement center some years ago and has had a huge influx of Eastern Europeans and Southeast Asians. The slumlords swooped down on this opportunity like vultures, and thousands of those new arrivals are now living in substandard and unregistered rentals. Klotz is only one of dozens of Utica slumlords who break and skirt the law at the risk of killing people. This time one of them got caught, but too late to save these victims.
Does Salisbury have the same kind of problems?