Law director: Days Inn owner signed judgment; court set Feb. 18 status call on nuisance benchmarks

Law Director Deary reported at the Jan. 6 City Council meeting that the owner (or the owner’s representative) of the former Days Inn signed a court judgment entry on New Year’s Day acknowledging the property is a nuisance under Ohio law and agreeing to a schedule of corrective actions.

Deary said attorneys for the city and the property’s ownership exchanged documents over the New Year’s holiday and that the owner appeared to accept the court’s terms rather than seek a full hearing. The court scheduled a telephone status conference for Feb. 18 to check compliance with the deadlines set in the judgment. Deary said the order requires the owner to provide a local contact within seven days and to meet a list of remedial benchmarks within 30 days; if the owner fails to comply the court may appoint a receiver to step in and carry out remediation.

Deary also told council that an attorney named Katie Keefer started earlier that day in the civil division and will handle civil matters; Keefer previously worked at the county prosecutor’s office and at the City of Cleveland on a range of federal and state matters, Deary said.

Why it matters: the agreement and the court’s oversight timeline mean remediation steps are proceeding under court order and the city could request a receiver if deadlines are not met. Council asked to be kept updated on compliance and next steps.

What’s next: Deary said he will update council as he receives reports on whether the owner meets the court’s local‑contact and remedial deadlines.