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Home > Blogs > Butler County News and Issues > Archives > 2008 > December > 11 > Entry
Sheriff says he will uphold law
Butler County Sheriff Richard K. Jones was both criticized and praised for directing his staff this to not throw anyone out on the cold streets if they have nowhere else to go.
Amid concerns that the sheriff was acting above the law, Jones said he will serve court-ordered evictions, but he will work with the courts to find housing for the evicted.
This follows a letter to Ohio’s governor Tuesday, Dec. 9, saying robbing someone of shelter during winter could be a “death penalty” and he will refuse to serve an order if tenants have nowhere to go.
This concerned landlords that the sheriff was going to let people stay in their homes rent-free, and Hamilton County Sheriff Simon Leis told a local radio station that a sheriff should go to jail if he refused to serve an eviction order.
“He has no plan to willfully violate a court order and go to jail himself,” said Sheriff’s Office Spokesman Sgt. Monte Mayer. “He is trying to make sure it’s done in the best interest of all parties.”
“People need to pay their rent, they need to pay their mortgage, if they can’t, they will be served with these papers,” he said.
Of the more 500 eviction orders the sheriff received this year, Mayer said less than 50 resulted in “set outs,” where a deputy physically oversees the removal of someone and their property from a home.
And the majority of these have someone to stay with, Mayer said. “What he’s looking at is the rare cases, of people who have no family around anywhere,” Mayer said.
As for where these people would go, Mayer said the sheriff’s office will work with the court within the timeframe allotted in the eviction order to find a place for them to stay.
Bob Cornwell, executive director of the Buckeye State Sheriffs’ Association said he applauds Jones as long as he works within the law.
“I think it’s good that sheriff Jones is being cognizant of people’s needs but being cognizant of his role as sheriff,” Cornwell said.
Permalink | Comments (16) | Post your comment | Categories: Butler County Sheriff's Department
Comments
By Sharen Mesler
December 12, 2008 9:23 AM | Link to this
I believe Mr. Jones was elected to up hold the law not make or break it. If Mr. Jones choses to ignore a court order he may very well find himself inside one of his own jail cells for contempt of court. We own four rentals which in turn pay for their mortgages and the mortgage on our personal home. Mr. Jones policy would send all of our homes into foreclosure. Smart move for the economy Mr. JOnes!
By Kelly Smith
December 12, 2008 10:40 AM | Link to this
I am glad someone in power will stand up for what is right. Some people can not help being out of work, some can. Why not help those who need the help?
By Kelly Smith
December 12, 2008 10:41 AM | Link to this
I am glad someone in power will stand up for what is right. Some people can not help being out of work, some can. Why not help those who need the help?
By Wilma
December 12, 2008 11:06 AM | Link to this
I would just like to know when Mr. Jones doesn’t follow through with the law is he going to go to his own jail for contempt and is he going to make the house payment. Just because you own a rental property doesn’t mean you are rich and can afford to let someone live there for nothing. Alot of these people know how to work the system and know how far they can go. There is still taxes, insurance and mortgage to be met on these properties. I’m not fortunate enough to ignore my responsibilities. I have sympathy for some of these people but some don’t care.
By david reck
December 12, 2008 11:16 AM | Link to this
I do not think the sheriff anticipated this backlash.A noble but stupid idea which is now being rethought.I’m always saddened when I see an eviction but short of paying that persons back rent there is nothing I can do.And neither legally can Mr Jones.
By nora
December 12, 2008 11:54 AM | Link to this
Please tell me why a tenant should b able to stay and not pay rent? No one can live for free not u not me. I have a mortgage that needs to be paid the house wasnt free, besides butler county taxes that pays the sheriffs salary. The renter doesnt pay taxes so i am paying for all the services that they are using! No one in this area should be without an education we have more educational opportunities than most states everything from technical schools to universities and public transportation to get there. As well as aid to attend, it just takes motivation. An education is the answer. There are some jobs out there but they may be unappealling but i’d rather rake leaves and shovel snow work in fast food than mooch off the system. The sheriff doesnt like the illegals but they are willing to do the jobs spoiled americans are not!! Everyone wants to make a huge salary but not do the work it takes to get there. Pennys make dollars every tenant that moves I find bunches of change left behind strewn on the floor if we would value a penny then maybe we wouldnt be in the shape we are in. Or if we were patient and waited to accumulate things when we could AFFORD them… look at the number of poor folks with the very best and newest cell phones, ones that dial and answer arent enough thats y the new phone is called an “envy” cause that is all we do envy what other people have who worked hard to have a rental property. I am sorry the economy is in the situation it is but it is not my fault so y punish me I’m working my self to death to get ahead even doing some of those unpleasant jobs!
By Bob Ignatowski
December 12, 2008 12:14 PM | Link to this
You tell em Nora! And after you are broken down and worn out and can’t work like you used to so you can pay all your bills the sheriff will put you out just the same. If you slumlords would do a better job of screening your renters you wouldn’t have to get sheriff Jones to do what you could have prevented. Feliz Navidad
By unpaid landlord
December 12, 2008 12:23 PM | Link to this
My husband and I have rental property in Hamilton. In Sept. we had to evict our tenant because she made no effort to pay the rent. She kept telling us that Social Security was going to take of of the rent because she had a disabled child plus about 5 other kids. She didnt care that we had taxes and insurance to pay on the house. We havent been able to rent the house back out yet because of the filth and flees that she left behind. Its going to take awhile to get everything back in shape to rent to anyone else. We are losing money but that doesnt matter to her.We did the eviction legal and went through the courts. We tried to do the right thing and not put her out on the streets with all those kids but we also couldnt afford to let her live there any longer rent free. We have bills to pay. When a person like Diana knows how to work the system she lives rent free for months before she can get put out of the house the goes on to the next landlord that dont want to put kids on the street.I feel bad for the kids that are involved in this mess.Parents who dont care and makes no efforts to better themselves.I know some people are put in situations they didnt ask for or expect. I feel bad for them.But these people who jumps from one rental house to the next taking advantage of us landlords who tries to keep a decent house to rent out and they go in and destroy the place. If it wasnt for the capital gains taxes, I wouldnt own any rental properties. People dont appreciate and respect other peoples properties.But the way the laws are we just cant go in one day and say I have had enough and put them out. We go through the legal system which give them another month or two to get that much farther behind in rent. Where does that leave us landlords…. money lost plus filth to clean up, new carpet to put down and walls to paint. And lets not forget to bug bomb the place before we can do anything.And what makes it even worse than that…break ins..windows broken out. copper water pipes stolen, outside air conditioning unit stolen..it never ends…I would love to put the womans name in this comment to warn other landlords but I dont want sued…..to bad!!
By david reck
December 12, 2008 12:27 PM | Link to this
slum lords? in butler county? middletown? jesus wept.
By preacher,franklin,ohio
December 12, 2008 1:45 PM | Link to this
have mercy on people god dose we are to geter done forjesus god bless love in chirst preacher.
By david reck
December 12, 2008 2:26 PM | Link to this
unpaid landlord-that will teach you to rent to trash.run a credit check-single mom 5 kids? trash pure and simple.course you do live in hamiltucky-
By bs
December 12, 2008 3:43 PM | Link to this
talk about your socialists?although i feel bad for people being evicted in the winter,the sheriff is showing his total disreguard for the law he is supposed to be upholding..he is trying to dictate to everyone in butler county..someone jail this dildo
By outraged
December 12, 2008 4:21 PM | Link to this
I can’t believe what I am reading! I am a landlord and if you don’t pay the rent you won’t have a place to live. If I don’t pay my mortgage don’t think that the bank is going to say “Well I guess it is cold why don’t you just stay in your house” That rent pays the mortgage. People can’t get something for nothing. That is what is wrong with this country to begin with. I say PAY or GET OUT! If the sheriff won’t get them out I will!
By Slumlord # 589
December 12, 2008 8:27 PM | Link to this
Bob I. come back to reality…very few landlords are slumlords. A landlord wants all their units to be rented. Unfortunate the costs associated to do the checks that you say should be done on renters is for the average landlord to cost prohibited…so a landlord has to do the best they can. A management comp may be one method but again unless you have several units this is just not fiscally sound either. All the landlords I know are willing to work with tenants who are struggling to make ends meet - often times much longer than they should. Evictions cost a landlord money in court costs- not to mention months of back rent owed to them from. A landlord wants tenants to remain in a unit for as long a possible because they are losing money when a unit is empty and they are searching for a new tenant. Not to mention Bob if the landlords kept to the standards you mention to prevent evictions from occuring the homeless rate would increase dramatically…duh.
By citizen
December 13, 2008 6:37 AM | Link to this
Sounds like a back-peddle for Dictator Jones. It is not to wise to offend the hard working folks of this county who put you in office. This last publicity stunt sounds more like the socialism the Dems spew forth. Are you not a Republican Sheriff?
By steve
December 14, 2008 1:05 PM | Link to this
My comment is to Nora… (she’s gotta be a repugnacan) You say the illeagals do the work us spoiled Americans won’t do?? What a joke… if you were to audit all the drywall companies and lawn service companies who employ these illeagals you would find them in violation of the fed min wage law.. it is unscrupulous greedy companies that allow these people to flourish Nora… but you probably got 40 of them working fore you @ 3 bucks an hour… I don’t knock their work ethics (the illegals) what I knock is their willingness to work for pennies while “THE MAN” get’s richer off their labor… ALL WEALTH COMES FROM LABOR NORA… This is why this country is in the crap hole it’s in now… We need to go back to isolationism and higher tariffs… the Repugs and all their back door dealing with 3rd world crap countries that allow them to circumvent our commerce dept is the problem and it must stop… why you think Barack got elected… he is tasked with ending this crap…