TOLEDO, OH (WTOL) - It's been nearly a year since the Riviera Maia Apartments were condemned and the more than 100 tenants forced to move out.
On Thursday, the trial against the owner, Sharon Sklarov, wrapped up.
Sklarov was found guilty of nuisance violations. A judge ordered her to reimburse the City of Toledo for the money spent maintaining the property on top of an additional fine, amounting to more than $100,000.
"We believe it sends a strong message and this particular case, it allows the city to recover significant outlays of capital that the tax payers have had the burden of putting up," said Adam Loukx, City of Toledo Law Director.
The prosecution had to prove to the judge that Sharon Sklarov is in fact the owner of the Riviera Maia. A difficult task because Riviera Maya is owned by Kids Real Estate Group LLC. Sharon Sklarov and her now ex-husband were listed on the LLC, but proceeds from the company went to a trust fund in the name of the couple's children. The LLC is also managed by a management group, so the Sklarovs were not maintaining the property.
Sklarov's attorney, Jerry Phillips, says his client was found responsible because she was the only one to show up to court and try to help the City of Toledo after the apartments were condemned.
"Here's a lady who is trying to get the property sold so it's not a burden, so the city doesn't have to pay all this money to tear it down. And the city is coming after her, a single mother, to pay all these expenses for something that she had no control of, her ex-husband had the management company, took all the money and took off," said Phillips.
Philips says there were several mistakes made and his client didn't get a fair shake. He says they will be appealing the case.
But until then, Sklarov will be on probation until she pays the city back the over $100,000.
Right now the property is under contract with an interested developer out of Detroit.
"Ultimately, they will be requesting certificates of occupancy and those will not be given to those properties until they are brought up to code. So we will be able to work collaboratively with a bonafide developer of that property and we hope to see that in the near term," said Tom Kroma, Department of Neighborhoods.
Until a sale goes through the City of Toledo will have to continue to keep an eye on the apartments and could have to pay out more cash to maintain it.
