Oliver Lawrence to finally get his due?
Virginia Courts Case Information confirm that notorious slumlord Oliver Lawrence has a date at the Richmond General District / Criminal court this coming Thursday (7/16) at 1:30PM (case #GC09002971-00). An earlier note indicated that he would be facing more than 30 charges concerning the condition of some of his properties.
I’ve never been a fan of imminent domain, but if this fellow just skips in and out of court as he does, it seems a likely remedy to me. Let the city demolish the structures and auction the properties.
(oopsie)
make that eminent domain :-p
No matter how you spell it, in Mr. Lawrence’s case, with his infamous track record, I can see no better remedy.
And he is now $237K lighter in the wallet:
http://www.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/local/article/SUIT01_20090430-220505/264978/
It’s amazing this guy has made it this far–let’s just hope that this time he’ll actually face consequences. Not the “please try harder” type but rather the “you’ve had dozens of chances to make right and your blighted properties continue present a risk to our neighborhoods” type.
In General District Court, it sometimes helps to have “Court Watchers,” letting a judge know that a community takes a case seriously.
The line in Mike’s post #4 is to a story dated May 1, 2009. The next to the last paragraph says the city says he has resolved the problems:
“In August 2007, the city of Richmond served Lawrence with about 170 violations on buildings he owned, and he has resolved those issues, city spokesman Michael Wallace said. At the time, he was one of the city’s largest vacant-property holders.
The violations pertained to about 35 to 40 buildings of an estimated 150 owned by Lawrence. About 100 of the buildings were considered by city officials to be vacant and unoccupied, including several properties that were badly damaged by suspicious fires that year.”
So is he being called back into court to be congratulated on cleaning everything up?
#6 David – are you going to attend court that day?
He got served again, on different violations. Thursday’s date is the continuation of an original court date on 04/23/2009.
Thanks John for #8.
I don’t have to be at work until 3:30 that day. What is involved in being a court watcher?
Letting the Assistant city attorney or commonwealth’s attorney know you are there. Tell him you support a meaningful sentence. As if you can address the court, and if the judge allows it, tell him concisely how Lawrence’s multiple, repeat violations are harmful.
#7, my job precludes me being there.
Well a group of us will be there today.
what was the verdict? i don’t live in the city but was curious what happened?
Check this out for the follow-up…