Owner claims abuse of power

Shawn Phillips is mad and he's not going to take it anymore. But city code inspectors say his rental property is a safety hazard and hehas 30 days to fix it or tear it down.

This week, Phillips has been posting flyers around town that say "City Abuse" and "Abuse of Power" in bold letters. The handbills detail how the city's code enforcement officer evicted 11 tenants suddenly on Feb. 27 after finding hazards in the building.

"I have been robbed of my rights as a citizen and homeowner," Phillips wrote. "As a result of the city's actions, I may lose my property to foreclosure."

Phillips formerly operated a painting business in Corvallis, but now is a real estate investor with commercial and multi-family rental properties in Corvallis as well as Albany, Lebanon and Tillamook.

Specifically, the single-family residence on Northwest 31st Street between Polk and Tyler Avenues was cleared for electrical hazards, structural alterations and decay, interior renovations to create unapproved living space and overoccupancy.

Inspectors found aging electrical boxes and taped wiring as well as extension cords running through the house to power stoves and lights under stairwells and in basements for 11 residents. Under city code, the house may only house five unrelated people.

Any of those items alone would be enough to deem the building unsafe, said Chris Westfall, city code enforcement officer. At that point, he said, his concern was keeping people from getting hurt.

According to a trail of paperwork surrounding the case, a tenant contacted the city with concerns about the building's safety. That triggered a walkthrough of the building with the tenant.

Westfall and other building officials documented the conditions and within two days were closing it down with help from property managers.

"Once you declare a dangerous building and post it, the expectation is to vacate it," Westfall said. "We take these things with great gravity."

Oregon State University Housing agreed to take the 11 tenants into available dorms until they could find another place to live.

Phillips has 30 days to remedy the hazards on the property or demolish the building. He may also appeal the decision to vacate the building.

Typically, he would have had just five days to file an appeal, but City Manager Jon Nelson said the city is working with Phillips to allow him to present his case to the city's Board of Appeals on a longer timeline.

Read more:

• Read the official document declaring Phillips' property uninhabitable.
• Read Phillips' flyer citing abuse of power by city officials.
• Look through photos of what inspectors considered hazardous conditions.

Matt Neznanski can be reached at 758-9518 or matt.neznanski@lee.net