ST PAUL, Minn. — Weeks after the Gray Duck Tavern suddenly closed with little explanation in downtown St Paul, it's now clear the entire 11 story building, including 134 affordable housing units, is in foreclosure.
Notice of the Lowry Apartments foreclosure first appeared in a July posting within the St. Paul Legal Ledger, but residents say they had no idea that the building was set to be sold in a sheriff's auction on Aug. 22, until being contacted by a reporter from the Pioneer Press for a story about the foreclosure this week.
"We haven't received no notice," said Calvin Harris, who moved into the building three years ago. "I haven't talked to anyone. We don't know what's going on."
"The law very clearly states that we were supposed to be informed by July 22 of the foreclosure action and we were not," said Megan Thomas, another resident of the Lowry. "I have received nothing official from the property owner since my lease renewal last October."
To make matters worse, Thomas, Harris, and other tenants who spoke to KARE 11, say they've spent months begging property owners and managers to address urgent health and safety concerns.
KARE 11 visited the Lowry Apartments on Thursday and the issues were apparent before even entering the front door.
"This window here was shot out," Harris said, pointing to a large window next to the front entrance that has been boarded up since January. "After that, this window here (in the door) got broken. You know it's just really, really unsafe here."
Harris and Thomas say the issues have opened the door to homeless squatters who have committed crimes, destroyed property and jeopardized safety.
"It's dangerous," Thomas said. "The front door is completely unlocked. There's been virtually no security for about two or three months. There is supposed to be someone here overnight, but when I came down to look at things the other night, one of the guards was taking a nap on the sofa."
The building is owned by Madison Equities, St. Paul's largest downtown property owner, which is in the process of trying to sell off most of its portfolio after the death of long time owner Jim Crockarell in January.
"The building has been in decline, rapidly, since the owner died," Thomas said. "There's a risk of violence, there's a risk to health, I found a cockroach in an ice cube in my freezer last week because they are everywhere."
Legal Options for Tenants
On Wednesday night, Thomas organized a meeting for tenants to share concerns. She also invited city and state officials to provide information about the legal options available to them.
"The tenants are deserving, through state statute, of a 30 day notice," said Representative Maria Isa Perez-Vega, who attended the meeting. "They didn't receive a 30 day notice. They received a headline in a newspaper. For many of these folks, they don't know where to go. They're looking at homelessness."
Perez-Vega said her office has been compiling tenant complaints and will be doing her part to elevate them.
"I'm working with the office of the attorney general," she said, "who has been very responsive in terms of landlord and tenants initiatives, but I also want to do a call of action to city and county leadership to address this as a deep emergency. We need to have immediate action on what the agenda and the plan is. Not 'we're working on this.'"
St. Paul Deputy Mayor Jamie Tincher, who also attended the tenant meeting on Wednesday, told KARE 11 that the Department of Safety and Inspections has responded to many complaints and issued several citations for issues raised by residents.
Tincher said inspectors cannot cite the owners for the front door security concerns because it is not allowed under state statute. She said the city will be working with the legislature to change that.
In the meantime, she said they are planning to open city hall in the coming days, so that tenants can organize and learn more about their legal options.
On Thursday afternoon, a spokesperson from Ramsey County shared the following statement with KARE11:
"Ramsey County just learned of the issue facing the residents of The Lowry today. We are working with the City of Saint Paul on a response plan to provide resources. We are currently in the process of identifying any residents already receiving Ramsey County support in the building so that we can work with them directly and are available to support all residents through our single point of entry contact number at 651-266-1050. It is our goal that all residents of The Lowry are supported through this situation."
Thomas said it's too late for her, though she won't stop fighting for others.
"I'm moving tomorrow," she said. "I have an emergency placement with an emergency crisis respite place. One of the problems that I have and a lot of the other people have is that, right now, I have 6 cents in my bank account. I can't even afford to pay application fees."