Cleveland water department's shameful and costly omissions with billing contract: editorial

Former Cleveland Councilman Gus Frangos is the President of the Cuyahoga County Land Reutilization Corporation.
According to that website, Frangos led the charge for change to legislation around "establishing enhanced-capacity County Land Banks, and expedited administrative tax foreclosure policy".

The same site also touts "In September 2004, Mr. Frangos was retained by the Cuyahoga County Treasurer to craft legislation to help expedite the tax foreclosure process, specifically on vacant and abandoned properties."

Additionally "Mr. Frangos is the President and General Counsel of the Cuyahoga County Land Reutilization Corporation".

What a dream job. First,  change some laws to expedite foreclosures, then create another entity that "reutilizes" land and then become President of it all.

A number of properties seized under the expidited foreclosure process were not vacant property, but were owner occupied for many years, and taxes were in arrears. The property of Freddie was in arrears for about $2,000, and though he had proof that he was making payments, his home, yes home, was seized under an expedited foreclosure and he was evicted.

How many times has this happened throughout Cuyahoga County? How many times has this happened to people who do not have the ability to fight back?

So is turnabout fair? Should Mr. Frangos have his property seized, under the same rules? Oh, wait, does Mr. Frangos actually own property? According to a former worker of Frangos, he does.

That worker  testified to that effect (Judgement entry, Cuyahoga County Court, Juvenile Court, Case no. SU11703939). This is public record. Here is the interesting part:

The Court finds that the Plaintiff testified that he worked as a self-employed agent for Gus Frangous and that he oversaw and collected rentals for his properties. He testified that he worked at the properties at 6311 St. Clair, at 1168 and 1160 East 61st Street, and at two sublots on Queen Court, and that he is not the owner of those properties. He testified that Mr. Frangos did not quit-claim those properties to him nor did he go to Court for evictions proceedings as the owner. He testified that he never had any ownership interest in the properties through an LLC or otherwise. He testified that he did not receive rental income from the properties. He testified that he was no longer working for Mr. Frangous and the last time that he collected rents for him was six months ago. He testified that his last reported income from Mr. Fangous was on his 2010 tax return as part of his self-employment income with his construction company. He testified that he earned $10,000 in 2010 through his construction company and some from Mr. Frangous. He offered his 2010 tax return into evidence which was admitted. He offered copies of deeds of the properties into evidence which were admitted.

So is there a sleight of hand here that will say that Frangos is NOT the owner via the LLC? And that these properties were seriously tax delinquent? And that some still are? Will Cuyahoga County exercise the law to  expedited foreclosure of the property purported to belong to  the President of the Cuyahoga County Land Reutilization Corporation? Will there be a different type of process than that which Freddie was subjected to in his loss of his family home?



Thanks to the help of a buddy who researched for me, here is what he found:
  


Parcel No. 105-10-014
6311 St. Clair


Owner’s name 6311 St. Clair, LLC


Previous owner Gus Frangos


Gus Frangos incorporated the LLC
Transferred from Frangos to 6311 St. Clair LLC on 1/9/03


Mortgage dated 3/23/05 – Gus Frangos signed mortgage as, “ Gus Frangos, Member 6311 St. Clair, LLC.


Delinquent property taxes  $ 4,472.46


No property taxes paid since 2008

 


 

Parcel No.  104-13-069


1154 East 61st Street


Owner’s name 1158 East 61St Street, LLC


Previous owner John Stover Revocable Trust ( John Stover is Councilman in Parma)


Gus Frangos incorporated the LLC
Transferred from Stover to LLC on 1/9/03 


Delinquent property taxes owed $7,604.48
Delinquent since 2006

 




Parcel No. 104-13-070


1158 East 61st Street


Owner’s name 1158 East 61st Street, LLC


Previous owner John Stover Revocable Trust ( John Stover Councilman Parma)


Gus Frangos incorporated the LLC


Transferred from Stover to LLC on 1/9/03


Delinquent property taxes owed  $ 10,405.35
Delinquent since 2007

 

 

1160 East 61st is not showing up in county records; a ride is in order!


 


Parcel No. 1051600

2
905 East 70th Street

aka Quinn Court Property
Owner’s name Quinn Court Property

LLC
Previous owner Gus Frangos


Gus Frangos incorporated the LLC


Transferred from Frangos to the LLC on 5/30/02


Delinquent property taxes in the amount of  $6,341.67 was paid recently after being delinquent since 2009

 



Parcel No. 10516088


913-917 East 17th Street

aka Quinn Court Property
Owner’s name Quinn Court Property LLC


Previous owner Gus Frangos


Gus Frangos incorporated the LLC
T

ransferred from Frangos to the LLC on 5/30/02


Delinquent property taxes in the amount of $8,170.16 were recently paid after being delinquent since 2009.


Gus Frangos signed the mortgage as “ Gus Frangos, member Quinn Court Property LLC

 
Does Gus Frangos, President of the Land Bank, deserve to be foreclosed upon?
 
 
 
Copyright 2012. Content may not be copied in whole or in part without the permission of the author.

 

 

Give Gus Frangos equal treatment?
Submitted by dwebb on Thu, 08/30/2012 - 22:54.
There isn't really any way to do this except equal treatment in the process. Other lost homes, not just property.

 

 

Gus Frangos' Banking
Submitted by JohnDoe on Fri, 08/31/2012 - 06:02.
Amazing this kind of activity is still on-going in this county.
Despite each property being  delinquent and owing thousands in property taxes for years, not one single property mentioned above has ever had a property tax lien issued against the property.
Never been sold out to tax lien companies or by county property tax auction. 
It is as if the delinquent property taxes were ignored for years - not only by the owner but by county officials as well.