Author: Giacomo Bologna

Progressive Maryland communications director Christianne Marguerite and community organizer Don Mahoney join organizing director Mark Shipley as he knocks on the door at Riparian Management headquarters in the Mount Vernon neighborhood of Baltimore on Wednesday. (Ulysses Muñoz/The Banner)

As more than 100 homes deteriorate and go vacant in Cleveland, officials in that city have a Baltimore landlord in their crosshairs.

Riparian Capital Partners and its associated management company, based in Mount Vernon, own portfolios of homes across the country. It’s one of Baltimore’s biggest landlords.

Last year, the firm bought 172 homes in Ohio’s Cuyahoga County, almost all of which are in Cleveland. But about 80% of them are visibly vacant, and many of the homes that are occupied are in disrepair, housing advocates in Cleveland say.

On Wednesday, members of Progressive Maryland, acting on behalf of the Cleveland-based Vacant and Abandoned Property Action Council and ACORN, the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now, headed to Riparian to confront the company owners.

No one answered the door. The advocates instead dropped off a report produced by ACORN and the Cleveland vacant property council.

Baltimore issued vacant building notices for 20 Riparian homes

The property management company owns 683 properties across the city, public records show. These 20 have been deemed uninhabitable by city inspectors.

Read the rest on the Banner's website.