Landlord of Home Involved in Waterbury Shooting Probe Gets Fined

A Lakewood landlord has been ordered to pay up after several on one of his 10 Lakewood properties triggered action by the city’s law department. 

And, following the , he may face additional fees.

John Salim appealed the city’s decision that his property at 1588 Lakewood Avenue was a nuisance.

Then, in the early morning of Jan. 7, the SWAT team responded to his property to arrest at least one of the .

Last week, the city’s Nuisance Abatement Board of Appeals upheld the law department’s findings.

Salim was fined $312. 

However, following the investigation into the Waterbury Avenue shootings, there may be additional fees levied against him.

At least one of the residents of the home was arrested in connection with the shooting that left one 17-year-old boy dead, and another Cleveland man injured.

“We will likely pursue new nuisance fees in light of the activities that occurred in light of the shootings on Waterbury,” said Lakewood Law Director Kevin Butler said. “Having the SWAT team there at 3 a.m. on a weekend is expensive — it costs a lot of money.”

The original nuisance fees come from “several” police complaints filed. First came citations for litter, after trash was scattered on the property. Then, in February, police filed charges of felony drug trafficking and permitting drug abuse against people at the two-family building. 

“There have been reports of theft that have led to a lot of police activity at that house,” Butler said.

The tenant, who had lived there for four years, claimed that it was her boyfriend dealing drugs, according to a law department report.

Salim said his tenant is the victim.

“If you’re tenant causes problems, they go to the landlords now and makes them pay,” Salim said. “This is really something I don’t have any control over."

He said he doesn’t agree with the charges.

“They make landlords look like the bad guys,” Salim said. “I am not a bad guy.”

“If they come after me for more charges, we’ll have to fight it.” 

Salim has been charged in more than a dozen times during the past 10 years for failure to comply with orders from the building department.

He’s been found guilty in about half of those cases.

“When you buy a rundown house, you often run into problems,” said Salim, who owns about 10 properties in Lakewood. “You try to fix the problems.” 

However, Butler said that Salim simply “replaces bad tenants with more of the same." 

“He didn’t take any steps after these steps after felonies, in fact, he brought in new tenants who have extensive criminal records — and who were involved in this Waterbury shooting,” Butler added. “All he had to do was a simple background check and he didn’t.”

“The taxpayers shouldn’t have to pay for this.”