Tenants complain of unsafe conditions at Eucalyptus-owned properties; council seeks follow-up, landlord’s lawyer contests trash claims

Multiple tenants of apartment properties owned by entities associated with Lou McGinnis addressed the Topeka Governing Body on Jan. 14 to report repeated maintenance failures, water intrusion, unshoveled sidewalks and slow responses to resident requests.

Residents described long repair delays, rotting structural elements on balconies, flooded apartments and slow or absent emergency response during recent plumbing and drainage incidents. Several speakers said snow removal and ice control near trash bins and building entries was inadequate and that tenants with disabilities were unable to access vehicles or entrances because sidewalks and alleys were not cleared.

Frederick Redwine, counsel for Eucalyptus, apologized for the "trash fiasco," said the prior trash vendor had breached its contract and that Eucalyptus promptly secured a new vendor and remedial work. Redwine said new dumpsters had been provided and pickups increased to two-to-three times weekly. He asked the council and public for patience and called the company a significant taxpayer contributor. Residents and council members pressed for faster, documented repairs and enforcement of housing-code and nuisance remedies.

Council members encouraged tenants to make specific, documented complaints through the city’s code-compliance process and to work with their council offices; several council members also said they would follow up directly with code compliance and the city attorney. Councilwoman Christina Valdivia Alcala advised tenants to contact the Disability Rights Advocate for assistance where people with disabilities cannot access their units safely. City staff and several council members said they will return with information about fines, tax delinquencies and any outstanding code-enforcement cases related to the properties.