Developer pulls out of Portland after four decades: 'How can you be this dysfunctional?'

Ask Kevin Howard how he feels about Portland, and his emotions run the gamut, but he's mostly frustrated as he pushed open the fence to his final slice of the city.

"This property was listed in January of 2021 for $795,000. Yesterday we sold it for $412,000," said Howard.

A significant loss, but Howard says he had nothing left in the tank. The tiny piece of property off Southeast Powell Boulevard, a former pizza parlor, has been a nightmare for the past three years.

"The supposed homeless came in and kicked in the door, the front door, and lived in it," said Howard. "And I waited until they came out, and I had to board it up."

But Howard says that didn't do much. They just broke in again and again, living inside and outside, even in his dumpster enclosure which they eventually set on fire. Howard says he got nowhere when he called the police.

ANGELICA THORNTON'S FULL REPORT: https://katu.com/news/local/developer...

"I said, 'Well, what does a homeowner do? What does a property owner do?' and they said, 'Call Central City Concern,'" said Howard. "I said "What will they do?' and they said, 'Well, they'll probably come out and give them a cup of coffee and some hot soup.'"

Howard looked into hiring a security guard, but that was too expensive at roughly $15,000 a month. So, he decided to get a fence, but the wait was four months.

"I said, 'Why?' and they said, 'Because homeowners like mad are fencing their property to keep the, you know, the drug addicts and the homeless out,'" said Howard.

So, the trash piled up, and Howard tried to keep up, but it wasn't enough. Last summer, the city hit him with a nuisance fine of nearly $540.

Howard paid the fine.

A month later, he got an even bigger bill, the original amount plus a penalty. The city told him they had lost his check. So, he paid the bill again, plus the extra $100.

"Two weeks later, they sent me another bill for 639 dollars and 71 cents," said Howard. "I called them up, and they said, "Well, this might be a duplicate bill, but we've already put a lien on your property."

The fence was finally installed, and Howard was able to clean up the property and eventually get the lien removed, but the drama dragged on for more than six months.

"I just remember the phrase 'The City That Works,'" said Howard. "The city that jerks, I mean, how can you be this dysfunctional?"

KATU News reached out to the bureau that fined Howard, Development Services. They confirmed there was an error, telling us "the issue was resolved" and "there's no outstanding balanced owed." We also asked Mayor Ted Wheeler's office for an interview. Wheeler has been vocal about improving livability, reducing taxes and fees, and restoring people's faith in Portland. A spokesman told us the Bureau of Development Services is not under Mayor Wheeler's Portfolio. Commissioner Carmen Rubio's office did not get back to us.

Kevin Howard shook his head as he walked through his now-former property.

"In the last year, 23,000 dollars. 13,000 for the fence, then there's the graffiti cleanup, painting the building," said Howard.

He spent $23,000 in one year just to manage the mess. But Howard, who founded Northwest Self Storage and owned 70 properties over the past four decades, says it isn't about this one address. This was just the last straw.

"I've been all over the world. I lived in Australia for a couple of years. I've been to all 50 states and all over," said Howard. "I came back to Portland, and I came back to Oregon because I loved it. I loved the people, the greenery, the lifestyle."

Howard became emotional as he turned to the boarded-up building. A bittersweet ending to his life and work in Oregon.
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