Hall of Shame

From Keep Ferguson Beautiful

This page features photographs and comments about properties and places in Ferguson which present a particularly poor public appearance. Perhaps their presence on this page will help motivate them to improve.

202 N. Dade, 497-501 Airport Road

This house is owned by Barbara Payne. According to the tax records, Ms. Payne resides at 1202 Edlor Drive, a 4 bedroom, 3,000 square foot home in a secluded area of far north county, appraised by St. Louis county for $307,000. Ms. Payne has a published phone number, (314) 355-1779. She purchased 202 N. Dade in 2006, for $5,500. According to the tax records, Ms. Payne has never paid taxes on this house.

This is the view from the street.

This is what Ms. Payne expects the neighbors to look at every day. The neighbors, who paid $33,000 for their house in 1994, actually maintain their home. What a slap in the face this view must be.

This is the view from Abston. Nice railing on that porch.

The Paynes also own the commercial properties at 497 and 501 Airport Road, formerly known as the Happy Go Lucky Child Care Center, titled in the name of Willey Payne, residing at the same address as Barbara. They purchased 501 in 1996, for $25,000. They have apparently owned 497 for a long time, as their ownership predates sales records on the St. Louis County Assessor's website. This center was briefly in the public eye in August 2007, when it left a child in a van for an hour on a 100 degree day.

Here's a few photos of 497:

And here's a few of 501:

This is the Payne's home in Spanish Lake. Somehow, they manage to cut the grass here.

According to personal property tax records, the Paynes own quite a few motor vehicles as well:

• 1949 Packard
• 1954 Plymouth
• 1974 Caprice
• 1993 Ford van
• 1994 GMC Safari van
• 1995 Mercedes S320w
• 2000 Dodge van
• 2000 Ford Mustang
• 2000 Ford Explorer
• 2001 Chevy Astro van
• 2003 Cadillac CTS
• 2003 Mercedes CLK320

Their personal property taxes for 2007, more than $3,000, remain unpaid.

Suggestion to the Paynes: Donate your Ferguson properties to Keep Ferguson Beautiful, a Missouri non-profit and soon to be 501(c)3. Your properties will no longer be a blight to our city, and we will take care of bringing them up to code and putting them to proper use. To get the ball rolling on this, please phone Nick Kasoff @ 314-991-7740.

I will say once thing in the Payne's favor: At least they don't do like some slumlords, and hide behind an anonymous LLC. Their properties are titled in their own names, and their real address appears on them. Of course, this begs an important question: If these people are so easy to find, why hasn't something been done about this?

313 Plaza

UPDATE: 313 Plaza has been demolished at city expense. Thanks to Harpagon, that's $10,000 the city won't be able to spend on other things.

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The home at 313 Plaza, or what's left of it, is owned by Harpagon Missouri, LLC. Harpagon is a subsidiary or affiliate of Vesta Holdings, a company which purchases tax liens. According to tax records, they purchased 313 Plaza, and the house across the street at 314 Plaza, for $10 each. Current taxes, only about $200 per property, have not been paid.

I have a few questions about this situation:

• Vesta's website says that Lien sales help maintain equity in the property tax system by assuring that conscientious and timely taxpayers are not unfairly burdened and forced to pay for individuals who disregard their tax obligations. In theory, they're right. Vesta owns 8 properties in St. Louis county as of this writing, and has not paid the taxes on any of them. What about your obligation to pay taxes, Vesta?

• Vesta's website also says that Vesta Holdings has purchased over 147,000 tax liens valued at over $241 million, producing tangible benefits to both taxing authorities and taxpayers. That's an average of $1,639 per property. At that price, if they sell one in ten and abandon the rest, they are still money ahead. Meanwhile, the people who live near the properties they acquire are the big losers. How does it benefit the taxpayers when Vesta leaves derelict homes to rot in the midst of residential neighborhoods?

• The public cost of an abandoned, hazardous building far exceeds the amount of the property taxes. (See Vacant Properties: The True Costs to Communities) When somebody purchases a derelict building in the middle of an occupied residential area, they create a health and safety hazard for everyone who lives there. In order for the city to abate this hazard, they face substantial legal costs, made all the more difficult by the fact that this company is in Atlanta, and employs a registered agent in Kansas City. What about your duty to the neighborhoods where you own property, Vesta?

• Vesta does not even take care of the financial responsibilities it assumes when acquiring property. Harpagon, its property management subsidiary, has been sued for unpaid condominium fees, which in one case amounted to nearly $10,000. (Harpagon Co., LLC v. Davis, 658 S.E.2d 633, 283 Ga. 314)

Suggestion to Vesta: Have these homes demolished. Then, either maintain the vacant lots until you sell them, or sell them for a nominal amount to the neighbors or the city. And pay your property taxes. Doesn't it strike you as a bit hypocritical to buy properties at a tax sale, and not pay your own taxes?

305 N. Dade

This house is owned by Laila and Reyad Dasan. Their mailing address on the tax records is no longer correct. And speak of tax records, the last year for which taxes were paid on this property was 2002. The grass is never cut, the lawn is always strewn with garbage, and the house is falling down. I'm guessing he does not live in a falling down slum like he expects the neighbors of this house to tolerate.

If anyone knows where we might find the Dasans, please phone Nick Kasoff @ 314-991-7740. Mr. Dasan is 44 years old. His most recent known address was 1128 English Saddle Road, in Barrington Downs, but he lost that house to foreclosure in December, 2003. He also once resided at 14916 Wehmer Estates Drive, though he never owned the property. He has also owned 221 Northport Hills, which he sold in 2003; 225 Northport Hills, which was lost in foreclosure in 2003; and 229 Northport Hills, sold in 2003.