Whose Business Is This House

[Anthony J. LaCerva]

The current resident of the Neoclassic mansion at 13405 Lake Avenue wants to auction off to the highest bidder the architectural details of the house, including 22 stained-glass windows, the wrought iron fence surrounding the property, and a 16-column walkway pergola, along with 14 rooms of furniture and a $10,000 stereo system. He claims his motive is to raise funds to maintain the remainder of the property and its grounds so that he can continue to live in the stripped-down, furniture-bare mansion and eventually leave it to his children, most of whom reside out of state. Others have suggested that the auction is just the first step in the eventual demolition of the house, the subdivision of the grounds, and the construction of cluster homes on the site. Motive notwithstanding, is the auction a legitimate community concern? Is this anyone else’s business?

I think the answer is a resounding yes, for three reasons. First, it is our business as law-abiding citizens. The resident has tried to equate his interests with those who opposed the use of eminent domain to take westside properties in connection with the proposed but failed west-end development. This comparison is not well-founded. Those opposed to the use of eminent domain exhibited their respect for the goal of hardworking, bill-paying, home-owning citizens to protect and preserve their homes. They opposed the City’s use of a legally-recognized and constitutionally permissible procedure that would have deprived Lakewood homeowners of their chosen living location. To the contrary, the auction is our business as citizens because the resident is using the auction mechanism to fight a foreclosure proceeding that has been pending since 2001, a foreclosure proceeding initiated because the resident did not honor his contractual commitments to make his mortgage payments and to pay other debts. And the idea of auctioning off the details of the home is an idea that did not come to the resident until after six attempts to take advantage of the stay imposed by the filing of a bankruptcy petition had been rejected by the courts. Numerous liens encumber the property. Because of these liens and the pending court proceeding, it is not “his house� to do with what he wants. Those who have supported the resident of the mansion because they feel he is somehow like them must question whether that support is deserved.

Second, the auction is our business as neighbors because the resident of the mansion isn’t seeking to protect any ideal or any momento or any choice. He is seeking to spoil something of which he is merely the temporary steward by deliberately taking action that will reduce the mansion’s beauty, value and character. He cannot strip an asset of its value when to do so would injure his neighbors and the community as a whole. Just as we have a moral obligation to throw out our trash so the neighborhood doesn’t smell, we have a moral obligation to refrain from inflicting damage on our neighbor’s assets. And we have a moral obligation, as members of the community of Lakewood, to promote, and not to denigrate, the town in which we live.

Finally, the auction is our business as members of the larger community that sets appropriate standards of conduct, the social norms and mores that guide our behavior. The resident is attempting to solve his financial problems irresponsibly. Others in his situation, and there are many, have disposed of their burden (though usually far less majestic) by selling it, lock, stock and barrel, to a willing buyer. It is a lesson in life that when you have overreached and have taken on more than you can handle, either physically, psychologically or financially, you must learn to scale back. How disturbing would this be if the pillaging of the pieces and parts of our homes were the start of a trend? There may exist numerous potential purchasers who are willing to buy the property and make it their home, but this has not been fully explored. The resident’s actions, and not those of the City or anyone else, have given him no choice but to say yes to one of those potential purchasers. Either that, or the sheriff can sell the house for him.

Anthony J. LaCerva
1077 Wilbert Road
Lakewood, OH 44107

[Ann Schleckman]

Tony - I thought your article was well thought out and for the most part, I agreed with your opinion. I do believe that we, as neighbors of the Lombardos, must be careful of what we say and do as temporary stewards of our homes. Mr. Lombardo is being made an example of because he has been financially irresponsible but also because he lives in such an exquisite home. In my walks on Lake Avenue and Edgewater, I pass numerous gorgeous homes, many of which have been ruined by their owners' "improvements." Renovations over the years have stripped these homes of their original beauty.

The current window replacement frenzy is a good example. It seems that every other home on Edgewater (between Webb and Kenneth) has replacement windows. In some of these homes, the owners have spent a lot of money to use wood windows with true divided light which maintain the home's original look. Most, however, are vinyl or composite windows with snap on plastic mullions. The owner has saved money and will receive some return on his investment in energy savings, but so much for being a steward his home.

How about replacing that ugly old (albeit original) light fixture with a shiny new Home Depot fixture? Are you being a steward of your old home or stripping it of its value? Removing those 1923 toilets and tile (we've got them)? Are our home improvements today going to seem tacky and outdated in 15 years? Of course they will. Mr. Lombardo is being put under the microscope because his house still has so much original beauty. If it weren't for his financial situation and resulting auction plans that called attention to the site, would there have been a public outcry if he had replaced his windows with Larmcos or Anderson Renewals? His house would have looked like crap but I suppose it would have been his right. Everyone else is doing it.

What's the solution? Maybe the city should have some control over what we do to our homes. Maybe parts of Lakewood should be designated a National Historic District. The Cleveland Restoration Society offers low interest loans for home improvements in Lakewood with certain stipulations. No vinyl is one. I am all in favor of homeowners maintaining and improving their properties. Perhaps we need some unified guidance, architectural review, or standards from our building department. If we nosy neighbors are all looking to make an example of Mr. Lombardo, perhaps we need to look at our own homes and ask if we are stripping our homes of their value and spoiling their original beauty when we make "improvements" circa 2005. As you stroll through our town check out some of the "improvements" on our old homes and apartment buildings- yikes! By the way, your home looks fine.

[Tom Bullock]

[quote]Perhaps we need some unified guidance, architectural review, or standards from our building department. [/quote]

Yes, this would be good--do they exist in City code (or in some other form) for residential homes?

FYI, the Main Street Program will be considering adopting the same kind of standards for the downtown commercial district on Detroit Avenue in the coming months.