City Moves to Foreclose on Nine Problem Properties in Portland

The list includes the duplex leaking raw sewage near Johnson Creek.

The apartment complex overlooks the Foster Floodplain Natural Area. (Lucas Manfield)
By Lucas Manfield

The mayor’s office has forwarded a list of nine distressed properties to the Portland City Council for foreclosure proceedings. The list includes a duplex that was leaking raw sewage near Johnson Creek and two homes on Southeast 87th and 84th avenues that were the site of major fires in recent years.

Related: Duplexes Too Disgusting to Occupy Stand on the Banks of Johnson Creek

Mayor Ted Wheeler has made problem buildings a focus in recent months, and his office has said it’s removing red tape to speed up the permitting and foreclosure process this fall.

The properties were chosen “based on their potential to help solve public health, safety, or welfare objectives,” says the item on next week’s council agenda announcing the list. “Additional consideration was given to the number of abatements, whether the property owner had multiple delinquencies and the negative impact the property was causing to the neighborhood.”

Foreclosure allows the city to purchase or put up for sale properties whose owners aren’t paying taxes, fees or fines. The City Council will vote on whether to initiate foreclosure proceedings next week.

Several of the properties, including the sewage-leaking duplex on Southeast 103rd Avenue and a house without power that burned down after residents used candles to keep warm on Southeast 84th Avenue, are near the Lents neighborhood in Southeast Portland. An unsecured house on Southeast 87th Avenue in the Powellhurst-Gilbert neighborhood is a property the city fire marshal had ordered demolished, according to city permit records.

Here’s the list of properties:

1225 NE 109th Ave., Levine & Marvelene Smith Trust, owners of record. Tax no. R874000150

9124 NE Prescott St., Gerald K. & Vicki L. Decker, owners of record. Tax no. R727802220

624-638 N Beech St., Gregory Jon Martin, owner of record. Tax no. R146805700

111 NE Killingsworth St., Killingsworth Rodney LLC, owner of record. Tax no. R657800420

6417 SE 84th Ave., Michaele A. Jarvis, owner of record. Tax no. R992042010

6402 SE 103rd Ave., 103rd Multiplex LLC, owner of record. Tax no. R037001120

2826 SE 87th Ave., Kelly Freed, owner of record. Tax no. R432100900

1229 N Bryant St., Shane A. Allbee, owner of record. Tax no. R332303030

14214 SE Crystal Springs Blvd., Diana Munden-Bush, owner of record. Tax no. R161101480

Willamette Week’s reporting has concrete impacts that change laws, force action from civic leaders, and drive compromised politicians from public office. Support WW's journalism today.