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| Judith Schorr | |
Some Highland Park residents say they’ve worked nearly 20 years to revamp the neighborhood — and worry their hard work could be destroyed in much less time by a single landlord who owns a few properties in the area.
But the landlord says he’s unfairly targeted because residents have a vendetta against him.
“We’ve taken back houses one at a time,” said Judith Schorr, who lives on Union Avenue in the neighborhood. “In the very beginning, in 1991, when we really started, there were 129 drug locations and houses and prostitute locations in our neighborhood. One hundred twenty-nine. Now I can count on one hand how many there are.”
But she fears those few houses could hinder efforts to rid the neighborhood completely of vices.
One house in particular, at 1900 Chamberlain Ave., seems to have its share of problems, said neighborhood resident Missy Luce, who lives across the street. Neighbors frequently call police to report what they believe to be prostitution and drug activity.
They’ve met with District 9 Councilman Peter Murphy and Mayor Ron Littlefield’s office to express concerns. She said she’ll move her family if the behavior across the street doesn’t change.
“It seems to me that the people that care don’t have the power to do anything and the people that have the power to do something don’t care,” Ms. Luce said.
Chattanooga police have responded to 1900 Chamberlain Ave. for 38 calls for service in 2008 and 32 so far in 2009, said police spokeswoman Lt. Kim Noorbergen.
Landlord John Hollingsworth acknowledges his residents aren’t perfect but says they don’t commit crimes.
“If they’re selling drugs, I’ll know that and I’ll get rid of them,” he said. “I don’t have any crime-wave people. They’re not criminals, so to speak. They’re not bad.”
Mr. Hollingsworth accuses the neighborhood residents of attempting to run him out because they want homeowners, not renters, to live in the area.
He constantly receives harassing letters telling him his place is in shambles and phone calls attempting to embarrass him, he said.
The city’s neighborhood services division said a code inspection of Mr. Hollingsworth’s property on Chamberlain still is in progress, but that the owner is making minor repairs. Mr. Hollingsworth said he’ll do anything the police and city ask him to.
“I was down there when nobody wanted them places,” he said. “I was down there before they came, when it was a demilitarized zone. They want everyone to be the way they want them to be.”
Mr. Murphy said he met with residents and requested the code inspection of the property.
He also showed residents how to look up their neighbors in the Hamilton County Criminal Court database to have a better sense of their criminal backgrounds, if they exist at all.
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It's obvious this man is being targeted and harassed by these "neighbors" on the pretense of reclaiming their neighborhood. It's the new form of bigotry with a noble cause attached to make it appear noble.
Until this victim takes a stand even if it means taking legal action, this form of bias and harassment will continue. Their only strength is they've formed groups and work in numbers. Otherwise, they're weak and what they are doing might even be illegal. At times, they've even duped members of the police department to take up their slack by harassing innocent citizens also.
This is the updated version of racism, hatred and bigotry without all the signs openly posted in the past. Evil only triumphs when good citizens sit back, do nothing and allow it to continue to happen. Surely, some human rights or civil rights organization can look into this. Or even the federal government needs to be called in to look into some of these 'gentrification' sneakly going on here.
News flash: the landlord and many of the problem people ARE WHITE.
Besides, since when is being a drug dealer and prostitute a civil right? Are we supposed to turn the other way and simply allow it? We're not supposed to fight it?
Please. These aren't innocent citizens. We've WATCHED them deal drugs and we've WATCHED them get into fights outside and we've WATCHED them prostitute themselves. As for the landlord, he simply doesn't care what goes on at his properties. He doesn't even do background checks.
It's comments like these that indicate that you must be engaging in these behaviors, as they are indefensible.
ItsObvious has recommended that Mr. Hollingsworth take the residents of Highland Park to court for what he claims are the neighborhood's "illegal" actions against him. You notice Mr. Hollingsworth hasn't sued anyone yet, though, and why is that? Because he knows that his tenants are breaking the law and doesn't want any additional attention drawn to himself. He is content to take their rent money and look the other way as long as he can get away with it.
If wanting a neighborhood that is free of drug dealers and prostitutes makes me a bigot, then so be it. However, I think it's more accurate to use the terms "law abiding," "good parent," "responsible homeowner" and "not going to take it anymore" instead, because that's exactly what I am.
The first comment implied that everyone who doesn't like the illegal actions of Hollingsworth's renters is white (which we aren't) and that those breaking the law are all black (they aren't). I'm thinking glass houses and stone throwing there, itsobvious, based on your racist assumptions of the parties involved.
We see no color in Highland Park. We don't like drug dealers and prostitutes of any race.