SitemapA person who identified themselves as a representative of the owner of Youngstown Houses, LLC contacted WKBN to respond to reports that the company was disregarding complaints about repair issues, saying that the tenants speaking out are just disgruntled about rental price increases.
Maria Hernandez emailed WKBN and then returned a phone call from WKBN, identifying herself as a representative of the owner. She did not provide further information about the owner but said the company is set up much like other companies, saying its property management, All State Property Management, handles the daily operations. Hernandez added that the property management company is available to tenants who need assistance.
Hernandez said they wanted to clear up misconceptions. “As with every story, there’s two sides, so we wanted to show our side as well,” she said. A statement sent to WKBN from Youngstown Houses, LLC notes that when the company purchased its properties from Gary Crim, Inc., there were also delinquencies in rental payments exceeding $100,000. The company says the previous landlord “chose not to pursue evictions for non-payment, resulting in below-market rental and average living conditions.”
As WKBN reported, Youngstown Houses, LLC purchased 290 single-family homes and 17 multi-family duplexes from Gary Crim, Inc. in April 2023 in a $5.6 million deal. The company caught the attention of the Youngstown Housing Task Force as members of the task force said they received several complaints from residents who detailed an inability to reach the company or get repairs completed in a timely manner. The task force held a rally Wednesday outside of the company’s property management company, which is located inside the Turnberry Apartments on E. Midlothian Boulevard, after they tried to speak with management but found no one there.
The task force has been trying to get the company to sign a community agreement, promising to make repairs and address other issues. Hernandez did not comment as to whether they would be willing to sign such an agreement but said they had not received prior communications from the task force. Jack Daugherty, neighborhood stabilization director for the Youngstown Neighborhood Development Corporation and a member of the task force, said the task force made multiple attempts to contact Youngstown Houses, LLC, including sending a certified letter to All State Property Management, which was accepted with a signature on April 27.
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