Local Judge Gives Landlord More Time To Repair Troubled Properties

A Franklin County Environmental Court judge has given a Hilltop man until mid-November to bring his 15 West Side rental properties into compliance with municipal codes. The judge's permanent injunction requires Robert Spears Junior to repair violations including trash, missing gutters and downspouts, missing mortar, and general disrepair. Spears, vice president of Jerry Spears Funeral Home, faces fines and jail time if he fails to comply. A hearing is scheduled for November 17. Spears says he has hired a new management company  and full-time maintenance personnel.