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Chronic Nuisance Property declared on Aurora

On Wednesday September 8, 2010, North Precinct Community Police Team officers in cooperation with Edward McKenna of the City Attorney’s office, served a letter of intent to pursue the Chronic Nuisance Property ordinance against the officers of the corporation holding  interest in the Fremont Inn, 4251 Aurora Avenue N.  The property owners have seven days to respond to the service and voluntarily correct the nuisance or the City can proceed with abatement or other legal action.  This is the first application of this ordinance. 

The content of the letter is included below:

VIA CERTIFIED AND FIRST CLASS MAIL OR PERSONAL SERVICE

RE:  Declaration of Chronic Nuisance Property
        Property located at 4251 Aurora Avenue North, Seattle Washington

Fremont Inn, Inc:

You have been identified as the person in charge of the property listed above. Pursuant to the authority granted to me as Chief of Police under Seattle Municipal Code (SMC) 10.09 I have declared the property located at 4251 Aurora Avenue North, Seattle, Washington to be a Chronic Nuisance Property. This declaration was made based upon the following nuisance activities which have occurred on the property during a 60 day period:

1. On June 29 2010 Seattle police recovered a controlled substance (cocaine) from a person on the premises.  (10-221126) 
2. On June 29, 2010 Seattle police arrested a suspect for the crime of Assault occurring on the premises.  (10-221646)  
3.  On July 3, 2010 Seattle police subdued a suspect on the premises, recovering a controlled substance (heroin and cocaine) and drug paraphernalia.  (10-226406)
4. On July 27, 2010 Seattle police contacted suspicious persons on the premises, recovering drug paraphernalia.  (10-259019)
5. On July 30, while investigating narcotics activity, Seattle police recovered a controlled substance (heroin) and drug paraphernalia from a room.  (10-263064)
6. On August 1, 2010 Seattle police responded to an incident involving a gun and recovered a controlled substance (heroin) and drug paraphernalia from a room.  (10-265778)
7. On August 6, 2010 Seattle police contacted a previously trespassed person, recovering a controlled substance (cocaine and heroin) and drug paraphernalia from a room.  (10-272533)


As the person in charge of a chronic nuisance property, you must respond within seven (7) days of service of this notice to discuss a course of action to correct the nuisance.  If you fail to respond to this notice within seven (7) days or if you fail to voluntarily correct the nuisance to the satisfaction of the Chief of Police, the City may file an action to abate your property as a chronic nuisance property pursuant to SMC 10.09.060 and/or take other action against the property or person in charge.

Failure to respond to this notice or failure to voluntarily abate the chronic nuisance to the satisfaction of the Chief of Police will subject you to a penalty of up to $500.00 per day from the date of this notice.  If the owner of a chronic nuisance property is not the person in charge of the property, the owner shall promptly take all reasonable steps requested in writing by the Chief of Police to assist in abatement of the nuisance property. An owner who fails to comply with the request will be subject to a penalty of up to $25,000.00 (SMC 10.09.050).

You may respond to this notice by contacting Sergeant Dianne Newsom at 684-0784.

Thank you for your attention to this matter.

Sincerely,

John Diaz
Chief of Police