Clermont County Prosecutor Mark Tekulve sued the owners of St. Andrews apartments and condominiums in Pierce Township Tuesday calling the property a nuisance.
“The ownership and management of the St. Andrews are profiting off the crime that they invite into Clermont County, and for too long have faced no consequences for their dangerous actions," Tekulve said in a press release. "That stops today."
The release states that the ownership and management "have created a lawless atmosphere, welcoming drug dealers and murderers into the community."
A lawsuit filed in Clermont County Common Pleas Court seeks to have the court appoint a receiver for the property.
The lawsuit states drug crime and violence are a problem at the 158-unit property built in 1973.
"In the past few years, over half the murders that have taken place in Clermont County have been committed at the property," the lawsuit states.
Clermont County Sheriff's Office Lt. Dominic DeRose was shot on the property in 2019. He and Detective Bill Brewer attempted to enter an apartment after they believed a suspect had taken his own life, but they were ambushed, court documents state. Brewer was killed.
DeRose filed an affidavit in support of the lawsuit. He said over 20 illicit drug sales to undercover officers have occurred there since 2019, and the location is used by non-residents as a place to buy and sell narcotics.
The lawsuit states the property is held by one or more limited liability corporations owned by Gene Jacobson of Fountain Green, Utah. Those companies are represented locally by lawyer Edward Collins, who said he only learned of the lawsuit when The Enquirer contacted him.
Collins and the ownership of the property did not provide any comments about the accusations in the lawsuit at the time of this report.
The lawsuit also states that the owners have failed to maintain the property and have allowed trash, discarded furniture and junk vehicles to litter the parking lots.
The lawsuit contains dozens of photos showing alleged repair issues at the building. One shows a raccoon that appears to be inside a structure, another shows a sink with feces on it.
A property condition assessment attached to the lawsuit dated March 9 estimates that about $190,000 in work must be done to the property immediately and another $625,000 is required for long-term upkeep projects.
According to records from the Clermont County Auditor, the property was sold from one LLC to another on March 12 for more than $1.6 million. Prior to that, the property was sold in 2010 for just over $890,000.
Tekulve stated in the press release that he expects a hearing to be held regarding a temporary injunction on the property within 10 days.
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