Progress On My Northern Perimeter

Photo by John Hoff

The house at 416 31st Avenue North has been a problem property for many years. Just recently, Charelle L. Davis, 18, was arrested there for possession of crack...

The landlord told me and Jeff Skrenes of HACC that the tenants would be evicted at the end of May. It was, of course, a lie and everybody figured it was a lie the moment it was uttered but I'm not publicizing the name of the landlord--not quite yet--because we still need to work with this person.

But she did lie. And she knows about the crack cocaine arrest at the property, because I personally called and made her aware of it when it came to my attention...thanks to the Fourth Precinct crime updates which arrive by email. The landlord said she was "shocked" and asked me for some details, including the specific spelling for "Charelle." Then something interrupted her, and she said she'd call me back.

She never did--so that's three outright lies I can document. Or two, depending on how you count the first lie. Is it one lie or two if you say the same thing but at different times to two different people? I'll give the landlord the benefit of the doubt and say she is, to my knowledge, only an outright liar on two occasions, to my knowledge.

But the City of Minneapolis appears poised to take care of the problem. Some "official paper" got slapped on the door, saying the house needed a bunch of fixes and if the fixes didn't happen by June 15 or 16 (I can't recall which) nobody would be allowed to live there.

God speed the Ides of June, I say. I was by there tonight and saw more crap being moved...some by the same thin, pretty brunette who helped some people move out of 3101 6th Street North. She appears to be quite a humanitarian. I think I met her, once. She's either a friend or relative of "Little Jane."

One eyewitness says the individuals in this house are taking their garbage and throwing it in the dumpster left at 3119 4th Street North. Well, it's better than throwing it on their lawn. When that house is vacant, we will all breathe a sign of relief.

But there is never long to celebrate before taking on the next vicious battle.