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  • NEW PERSPECTIVE ASSET MANAGEMENT LLC Vs JOSE VILLAVICENCIO ET AL VS.JOSE VILLAVICENCIOOTHER CIVIL document preview
  • NEW PERSPECTIVE ASSET MANAGEMENT LLC Vs JOSE VILLAVICENCIO ET AL VS.JOSE VILLAVICENCIOOTHER CIVIL document preview
  • NEW PERSPECTIVE ASSET MANAGEMENT LLC Vs JOSE VILLAVICENCIO ET AL VS.JOSE VILLAVICENCIOOTHER CIVIL document preview
  • NEW PERSPECTIVE ASSET MANAGEMENT LLC Vs JOSE VILLAVICENCIO ET AL VS.JOSE VILLAVICENCIOOTHER CIVIL document preview
  • NEW PERSPECTIVE ASSET MANAGEMENT LLC Vs JOSE VILLAVICENCIO ET AL VS.JOSE VILLAVICENCIOOTHER CIVIL document preview
  • NEW PERSPECTIVE ASSET MANAGEMENT LLC Vs JOSE VILLAVICENCIO ET AL VS.JOSE VILLAVICENCIOOTHER CIVIL document preview
  • NEW PERSPECTIVE ASSET MANAGEMENT LLC Vs JOSE VILLAVICENCIO ET AL VS.JOSE VILLAVICENCIOOTHER CIVIL document preview
  • NEW PERSPECTIVE ASSET MANAGEMENT LLC Vs JOSE VILLAVICENCIO ET AL VS.JOSE VILLAVICENCIOOTHER CIVIL document preview
						
                                

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Franklin County Ohio Clerk of Courts of the Common Pleas- 2024 Feb 02 1:08 PM-24CV000987 0G711 - Y2 COURT OF COMMON PLEAS FRANKLIN COUNTY, OHIO New Perspective Asset Management, LLC, Court-Appointed Receiver over certain real property c/o Allen Stovall Neuman & Ashton LLP 10 W. Broad St., Ste. 2400 Case No. Columbus, OH 43215 and Judge City of Columbus, Ohio c/o Zach Klein, Columbus City Attorney 375 S. High St., 17" Floor Columbus, OH 43215 Plaintiffs, vs. Jose Villavicencio 669 South 22" Street Columbus, Ohio 43205 Defendant. COMPLAINT FOR DECLARATION OF VEXATIOUS LITIGATOR STATUS Plaintiffs New Perspective Asset Management, LLC, the court-appointed receiver (the “Receiver”) in various consolidated cases (the “Consolidated Cases”)! before the Franklin County Municipal Court’s Environmental Division (the “Environmental Court’), and the City of Columbus, Ohio (the “City” and, together with the Receiver, the “Plaintiffs”), for their Complaint against Defendant Jose Villavicencio (the “Defendant”) state as follows: | These cases consist of Case Nos. 2016 EVH 60013, 2021 EVH 60053, 2022 EVH 60082, 2022 EVH 60507, and 2022 EVH 60624 in the Environmental Case. Franklin County Ohio Clerk of Courts of the Common Pleas- 2024 Feb 02 1:08 PM-24CV000987 0G711 - Y¥30 INTRODUCTORY STATEMENTS 1 In the Consolidated Cases, the Receiver was appointed over sixteen different real properties (the “Properties”) to abate the public nuisances thereon. See the Order Appointing Receiver and Approving Rehabilitation Plan, filed in the Consolidated Cases on August 21, 2023 (the “Receiver Order”). 2 The document attached as Exhibit A is a true and accurate copy of the Receiver Order. 3 The Properties are owned by several Ohio entities: Argous, LLC; JRV SEPIRA, LLC; South German Village, LLC; and South German Village Medical Center LLC (the “Owner Entities”). 4 The Defendant, in some way or other, claims a management or membership position in each of those Owner Entities. 5 Since the Receiver’s appointment, the Defendant has worked to disrupt and frustrate the receivership 6 The Defendant made eighteen separate filings in the Consolidated Cases over the two and half months following the Receiver’s appointment. Many of these filings were never served properly—many lacked a certificate of service, or were only filed in one of the Consolidated Cases—such that the Receiver only discovered the filings by chance when reviewing the case dockets for a different purpose 7 In the middle of these filings was a Notice of Appeal; the Defendant sought to challenge the Receiver Order (among other things), and thus initiated an appeal before the Tenth District Court of Appeals of Ohio (the “Appellate Court”). See Case No. 23-AP-552 (the “First Appellate Case”). Franklin County Ohio Clerk of Courts of the Common Pleas- 2024 Feb 02 1:08 PM-24CV000987 0G711 - Y¥31 8 Far from satisfied with that onslaught of paperwork, the Defendant then initiated two additional civil cases before this Court, one against the City and its Code Enforcement Division, see Case No. 23-CV-7918 (the “First Civil Case”), and another against the Receiver and Environmental Court Judge Stephanie Mingo, see Case No. 23-CV-7986 (the “Second Civil Case’). 9 In the Second Civil Case, the Defendant filed another four documents on top of his complaint, one of which sought a preliminary injunction against the receivership 10. The Receiver has been forced to respond to the filings in this Second Civil Case, at considerable and increasing cost to the receivership estate. 11 The First Appellate Case was dismissed due to the Defendant’s failure to prosecute the case by filing his appellate brief. 12. Even after the First Appellate Case was dismissed, the Defendant still filed an additional two documents in that case. 13. While the First Appellate Case was pending, the Defendant filed another appeal See Case No. 23-AP-692 (the “Second Appellate Case”). 14. The Second Appellate Case was dismissed sua sponte by the Tenth District Court of Appeals for lack of a timely appeal. 15. The Defendant has since sought to appeal the dismissal of the Second Appellate Case to the Supreme Court of Ohio. 16. After the dismissal of the First Appellate Case and the Second Appellate Case, the Defendant filed a third case before the Appellate Court, Case No. 23-AP-765 (the “Third Appellate Case”) Franklin County Ohio Clerk of Courts of the Common Pleas- 2024 Feb 02 1:08 PM-24CV000987 0G711 - Y¥3 17. The Third Appellate Case is captioned as an “Original Action — Writ of Prohibition.” 18. Although the Third Appellate Case is captioned as being against the City, the body of the filing indicates that the respondent is the “Franklin County Environmental Court” and “Judge Stephanie Mingo.” And, although the Receiver was central to the facts outlined in the filing, the Receiver was neither included nor served with it 19. The Defendant has since initiated a fourth action before the Appellate Court challenging yet another order from the Environmental Court. See Case No. 24-AP-055 (the “Fourth Appellate Case”). 20. Under Ohio law and the explicit terms of the Receiver Order, the filing of the First and Second Civil Cases constituted a violation of the Barton Doctrine and the stay imposed in the Consolidated Cases. See Receiver Order, § 10; Ettayem v. Ramsey, 2019-Ohio-675, J 14 (10th Dist. Feb. 26, 2019) (“...[G]enerally, courts have held that a party may not file an action against a receiver unless prior leave is obtained from the appointing court.”). 21 Even besides such clear-cut non-conformity with proper procedure in this case, and his other less defensible efforts to disrupt the receivership, the Defendant has clearly engaged in vexatious conduct by filing close to thirty documents, especially since these filings only reiterate the same arguments over and over again 22. Further, part of the Defendant’s vexatious conduct constitutes the unauthorized practice of law. The Environmental Court has already warned the Defendant of this, denying some of his previous filings for this exact reason, and yet the Defendant has continued to purportedly represent others and bring legal proceedings on their behalf to disrupt the receivership. Franklin County Ohio Clerk of Courts of the Common Pleas- 2024 Feb 02 1:08 PM-24CV000987 0G711 - ¥3 23. The Plaintiffs believe that these filings are meant to harass and distract the Receiver, whittling away at the receivership’s funds and delaying the actual abatement of nuisances at the Properties. 24. With this action, the Plaintiffs seek to have the Defendant declared a vexatious litigator, such that he would be prevented from making further filings without prior leave from the Court. JURISDICTION 25 This Court has personal jurisdiction over the Defendant pursuant to R.C. § 2307.382 because he transacts business in this state 26. Under R.C. § 2323.52(B), a person who has defended against habitual and persistent vexatious conduct may commence a civil action in a court of common pleas with jurisdiction over the person who allegedly engaged in the habitual and persistent vexatious conduct. Because this Court has personal jurisdiction over Defendant, it also has subject-matter jurisdiction over this matter pursuant to R.C. § 2323.52. 27. Venue is proper in this case pursuant to Ohio Civil Rule 3(C), since Defendant resides in Franklin County, Ohio. FACTUAL BACKGROUND A. Filings in the Consolidated Cases 28 The Receiver was appointed in the Consolidated Cases on August 21, 2023 29. The next day, on August 22, 2023, Defendant filed his Motion to Stay Order Allowing Entry into Various Properties, untimely contesting the Environmental Court’s Order Granting Motion for Authorization to Enter and Inspect Properties from a month earlier. Franklin County Ohio Clerk of Courts of the Common Pleas- 2024 Feb 02 1:08 PM-24CV000987 0G711 - Y¥34 30. The next day, on August 23, 2023, Defendant filed his Motion to Reconsider Appointment of Receiver, purporting to file it on behalf of the Owner Entities as well as himself, constituting the unauthorized practice of law. 31 Then—in only one of the Consolidated Cases,” and without any evidence of proper service to the Receiver—Defendant proceeded to file eleven additional motions, objecting to the actions of the Environmental Court, the City, and/or the Receiver: a. the Objection to Decision to Strike Motion for Mistrial, filed on September 13, 2023: the Objection to Receiver NPAM and NPAM Plans, filed on September 13, 2023; the Motion to Censure City Attorney Christopher Clark, filed on September 13, 2023: a Memorandum: Hole in Diverter, Cracks in Sidewalk Leads to Receivership, filed on September 14, 2023; the Motion to Change Prosecuting Attorney, filed on September 14, 2023; the Motion to Stay/Terminate Receiver NPAM, filed on September 14, 2023; his Notice of Appeal, filed on September 15, 2023, which acknowledged the initiation of the First Appellate Case; the Motion to Remove 463 South 22nd from Receivership, filed on October 5, 2023; the Motion to Remove 377 Berkeley from Receivership, filed on October 5, 2023; the Motion to Remove 669 South 22nd from Receivership, filed on October 6, 2023; and the Motion to Remove 665 South 22nd from Receivership, filed on October 6, 2023. ? The Defendant only filed the eleven motions listed in { 20 of this Complaint in Case No. 2022 EVH 60624, as opposed to filing the motions so that they would appear on the dockets of each of the Consolidated Cases. 6 Franklin County Ohio Clerk of Courts of the Common Pleas- 2024 Feb 02 1:08 PM-24CV000987 0G711 - ¥3 32. The first seven of those motions were filed over the course of three days, between September 13 and September 15, 2023. These motions generally repeated the same allegations and arguments, and the final four sought functionally the same relief yet were divided into distinct motions that the Receiver would have to respond to. 33. Trying to keep up with this flood of filings, the Plaintiffs filed a Joint (1) Consolidated Response of City of Columbus, Ohio, and Receiver to Various Filings by Jose Villavicencio; (2) Motion to Strike; and (3) Request for Hearing on Remaining Matters (the “Joint Response”) on October 17, 2023 34. While the Joint Response did seek to strike certain of the Defendant’s filings based on mootness or procedural deficiencies, the Plaintiffs also sought to find a middle-ground: given the Defendant’s grievances with the receivership, and the filings requesting the removal of certain properties from the receivership (presumably for compliance with City Code), the Joint Response requested a hearing where the Defendant’s issues could be resolved before the Court. The Joint Response also expressed trepidation at how to proceed in responding to the Defendant’s motions, given the initiation of the First Appellate Case. 35. The Joint Response, however, did little to deter the Defendant’s filings. Three more motions were filed on October 19, 2023, two days later a. the Motion for Stay of Enforcement of Judgment, b the Motion for Stay Pending Appeal, and the Motion to Add New Party, seeking to add Brian Gearheart to the Consolidated Cases. 36. The Defendant responded to the Joint Response directly on October 23, 2023, by filing his Memorandum Contra to Joint (1) Consolidated Response of City of Columbus and Franklin County Ohio Clerk of Courts of the Common Pleas- 2024 Feb 02 1:08 PM-24CV000987 0G711 - ¥3 Receiver to Various Filings by Jose Villavicencio; (2) Motion to Strike, and (3) Request for Hearing on Remaining Matters. 37. A week later on October 30, 2023, Defendant also filed a Motion to Compel the Receiver, NPAM, to Follow City Ordinances/Regulations in the Performance of Its Duties/Responsibilities 38 At this point, the Defendant had filed eighteen (18) separate filings in the Consolidated Cases. And he wasn’t done B. Civil Suits initiated against the Plaintiffs 39. In early November, the Defendant initiated two civil suits before this Court: the First Civil Case on November 6, 2023, and the Second Civil Case on November 8, 2023. 40. The First Civil Case was filed against both the City and its Code Enforcement Division. The Defendant’s Complaint in that case went so far as to ask this Court to “find the city guilty” of purportedly “illegal tactics” that resulted in the “misappropriation” of the Properties. See Complaint, filed on November 6, 2023, in the First Civil Case, { 45. 41 The City had to engage counsel to represent it in defending against these claims Through this counsel, the City filed its Motion to Dismiss the First Civil Case on November 30, 2023 42. The Second Civil Case was filed against both the Receiver and Judge Stephanie Mingo. In that case, the Defendant’s Complaint accused Judge Mingo of partiality against him, further stating that she has no care for the “overall welfare of the residents of the city”. See Complaint, filed on November 8, 2023, in the Second Civil Case, J 15-16. Franklin County Ohio Clerk of Courts of the Common Pleas- 2024 Feb 02 1:08 PM-24CV000987 0G711 - Y¥37 43. Since the Second Civil Case involved another plaintiff besides the Defendant (namely, Tracey Johnson), the Defendant filed one last motion in the Consolidated Cases, another Motion to Add New Party on November 8, 2023. 44 After this, and over the course of the next month, the Defendant would shift his attention to the Second Civil Case a Memorandum: Attorney Zachary Gwinn Should Have Recused Self from Case?, filed on November 30, 2023; a Joint Response to Defendant's Motion to Dismiss and Amended Complaint, filed on December 4, 2023;> the Plaintiff's Motion for a Preliminary Injunction, filed on December 6, 2023 (the “Motion for Preliminary Injunction”); and a Memorandum: Is an Order for Receivership an Order for Expropriation of Private Property?, filed on December 13, 2023 45 Attempting to stem the tide, the Receiver filed a Motion to Dismiss the Second Civil Case on December 11, 2023, and then a Motion of Receiver to Stay All Proceedings Until Court Rules on Motions to Dismiss on December 13, 2023. Again, this posed substantial cost to the receivership estate through additional legal fees. 46. Recently, on January 8, 2024, the Defendant filed his Plaintiff's Response to Attorney Coutinho’s Motion to Dismiss, responding to the Motion to Dismiss filed by the Receiver. This latest filing continued to repeat the same arguments as proposed in his other motions, and, in the Receiver’s opinion, is without any real basis in law. Cc Filings in the Tenth District & Further Appeals 47. Meanwhile, the Defendant brought two appellate actions before the Appellate Court. In the First Appellate Case, the Defendant sought to appeal both the Receiver Order and the 3 This filing was in response to a Motion to Dismiss filed on November 27, 2023, by Judge Mingo in the Second Civil Suit Franklin County Ohio Clerk of Courts of the Common Pleas- 2024 Feb 02 1:08 PM-24CV000987 0G711 - Y38 Decision and Entry Granting Plaintiff's Motion to Strike and Order to Strike Motion for Mistrial Filed June 20, 2023 (the “Strike Order”) in the Consolidated Cases. 48. Through the Second Appellate Case, filed November 15, 2023, the Defendant oddly sought only to appeal the Strike Order—one half of what was already being addressed in the First Appellate Case. 49. This Second Appellate Case was quickly dismissed by the Appellate Court, sua sponte, on November 20, 2023. See Journal Entry of Dismissal, in the Second Appellate Case. This dismissal specifically cited the untimely nature of the Defendant’s filing; the Appellate Court stated that the Defendant could have appealed up through September 20, 2023, but instead he had waited until November. 50. Over two months after initiating the First Appellate Case, the Defendant had failed to ever file an appellate brief. This was a failure to comply with Rule 18(C) of the Ohio Rules of Appellate Procedure and, along with other procedural deficiencies, was something the Plaintiffs addressed in their Joint Motion to Dismiss Appeal, filed December 8, 2023 51 On December 20, 2023, the Appellate Court dismissed the First Appellate Case, specifically citing the Defendant’s continued failure to file an appellate brief. 52. This dismissal inspired the Defendant to finally participate in the action, similar to the Defendant’s outburst immediately following the Environmental Court’s entering of its Receiver Order. That very same day (December 20, 2023), the Defendant filed a Motion for Additional Time to File Appellant's Opening Brief, and then followed that with his Appellant's Preliminary Brief. 53. The Appellate Court dismissed both of those filings as moot 10 Franklin County Ohio Clerk of Courts of the Common Pleas- 2024 Feb 02 1:08 PM-24CV000987 0G711 - ¥3 54. Undeterred, the Defendant simply started up a different case before the Appellate Court, filing his Complaint for Writ of Prohibition and Motion for a Preliminary Injunction on Non-Abatement Work and Emergency Stay of Evictions on December 22, 2023. It is worth noting that this last complaint is substantially similar to the allegations made in every filing before the Appellate Court, this Court, and the Environmental Court across the many different suits. 55 The Defendant has also appealed the Second Appellate Case to the Supreme Court of Ohio. See Notice of Appeal of Appellant Jose Villavicencio, filed in Case No. 2024-0019 (the “Supreme Court Case”) on January 4, 2024 56. On January 22, 2024, the Defendant filed a Motion for an Emergency Stay of the Receivership, Eviction of Tenants, and Performance of Non-Abatement Work in the Supreme Court Case. The Plaintiffs believe this is substantially a restatement of the Defendant’s earlier Motion for Preliminary Injunction in the Second Civil Case. D. New Filings in the Consolidated Cases in 2024 57. So far in the new year, the Defendant has continued filing motions against the Receiver, returning his efforts to the Consolidated Cases. 58. On January 11, 2024, Defendant filed a Motion by Defendant for Trial by Jury (the “Jury Motion”), referencing solely a criminal statute and an overturned case as support for a trial by jury in the Consolidated Cases. The reasons for having a trial, the issues that would be disputed, are left unclear in that motion. 59. On that same date, Defendant also filed a Memorandum: Is an Order for Receivership an Order for Expropriation of Private Property?, which is an exact duplicate, word- for-word, of a memorandum filed under the same name in the Second Civil Suit on December 13, 11 Franklin County Ohio Clerk of Courts of the Common Pleas- 2024 Feb 02 1:08 PM-24CV000987 0G711 - Y40 2023. There is no better example of the Defendant’s continual recycling of arguments than this wholesale replication of a filing already submitted in another case. 60. The Environmental Court issued an order sua sponte on January 17, 2024 (the “Jury Order”), denying the Defendant’s Jury Motion as moot. 61. In response, on January 23, 2024, the Defendant filed another Notice of Appeal, seeking to appeal the Jury Order and continue his antics in yet another case before the Appellate Court. This latest appeal initiated the Fourth Appellate Case. E Defendant’s Unauthorized Practice of Law 62. The Defendant has engaged in the unauthorized practice of law throughout this case, see J 30 of this complaint, but, even before the appointment of the Receiver, the Defendant had already been warned to avoid such conduct. 63 On or about June 20, 2023, Defendant filed a “Motion for Mistrial” purportedly on behalf of the Owner Entities, despite the fact that the Defendant is not admitted to the Ohio Bar and is not permitted to represent those entities in a legal capacity. See R.C. § 4705.01; see also Jabr v. Columbus, 2023-Ohio-2781, fn. 1 (10th Dist. Aug. 10, 2023). 64. The City moved to strike that “Motion for Mistrial” on July 18, 2023, and the Environmental Court granted the City’s request on August 21, 2023. See Decision and Entry Granting Plaintiff's Motion to Strike and Order to Strike Motion for Mistrial Filed June 20, 2023 In its order, the Environmental Court specifically noted that the Defendant is not an attorney licensed to practice in Ohio and therefore cannot file a motion on behalf of the Owner Entities. Jd. 65 In this way, the Defendant was informed through example that he was not allowed to serve others in a representative capacity while representing himself pro se. 12 Franklin County Ohio Clerk of Courts of the Common Pleas- 2024 Feb 02 1:08 PM-24CV000987 0G711 - Y41 66. Despite this, the Defendant has since continued to engage in the unauthorized practice of law by bringing some of the Properties’ tenants to the Franklin County Municipal Court and having them file an Application to Deposit Rent with the Clerk. This would have the effect of initiating a rent escrow action for the tenant, which would likely lead to the court awarding rental funds to the landlord recorded on their application. The landlord was falsely listed as Brian Gearheart (an agent of the Defendant), as opposed to the Receiver. This would have the practical effect of circumventing the receivership process by extracting payments from tenants who owed rent to the Receiver. 67. After being warned that representing others in a legal capacity constitutes the unauthorized practice of law, the Defendant actively sought to walk tenants through processes that would disrupt the receivership. This demonstrates a persistent disrespect for the practice of law F. Other Examples of Vexatious Conduct 68 The issues that Defendant has with the receivership have extended into eviction court. On January 12, 2024, the Defendant filed a Complaint for Unlawful Lockout/Constructive Eviction, Property Damages, Emotional Distress, Special Damages and Attorney Fees against the Receiver in the Franklin County Municipal Court, Case No. 2024 CVE 1537 (the “Eviction Case”) The Receiver has yet to file a responsive pleading to that complaint, but it is safe to say that the Eviction Case, which Defendant also filed without first seeking leave from the Environmental Court, violates both the Barton Doctrine and the stay imposed by the Receiver Order. 69. The Defendant’s habit of rampantly filing motions is not restricted solely to cases against the Plaintiffs, however. 70. In two traffic cases before the Franklin County Municipal Court this past year, specifically Case Nos. 2021 TRD 142870 and 2022 TRD 133775 (the “Traffic Cases”), the 13 Franklin County Ohio Clerk of Courts of the Common Pleas- 2024 Feb 02 1:08 PM-24CV000987 OG711 - Y4 Defendant filed a Motion to Have Post-Sentencing Hearing Under a Different Judge on November 22, 2023. After a hearing on sentencing had already occurred, the Defendant filed this motion to disqualify the judge and dismiss the case against him. 71 After the Defendant's initial attempt to disqualify the judge was denied by the Ohio Supreme Court, the Defendant again attempted to disqualify the judge, which second attempt also failed. COUNT I: VEXATIOUS LITIGATOR 72. The Plaintiffs re-allege each of the allegations in the foregoing paragraphs as if fully restated herein. 73 A “vexatious litigator’ under R.C. § 2323.52(A)(3) is any person who has “habitually, persistently, and without reasonable grounds engaged in vexatious conduct in a civil action or actions, whether in the court of claims or in a court of appeals, court of common pleas, municipal court, or county court, whether the person or another person instituted the civil action or actions, and whether the vexatious conduct was against the same party or against different parties in the civil action or actions.” 74. “Vexatious conduct” means conduct of a party in a civil action that serves merely to harass or maliciously injure another party to the civil action, is not warranted under existing law and cannot be supported by a good faith argument, or is imposed solely to delay. R.C. § 2323.52(A)(2) 7S. The Defendant has habitually, persistently, and without reasonable grounds engaged in conduct meant to harass and delay the Plaintiffs 76. Through all of the cases above and the Defendant’s many filings therein, the Defendant has continually harassed and sought to delay the Plaintiffs by directing their attention 14 Franklin County Ohio Clerk of Courts of the Common Pleas- 2024 Feb 02 1:08 PM-24CV000987 OG711 - Y4 and resources away from the abatement of nuisances at the Properties, or any of the hundreds of thousands of other properties in Columbus, Ohio. 77. The Defendant’s conduct was not warranted under existing law and could not be supported by good faith arguments. 78. The Defendant’s actions constitute vexatious conduct under R.C. § 2323.52 79. The Plaintiffs have been subjected to and have defended against this vexatious conduct. 80. Under R.C. § 2323.52(B), any person “who has defended against habitual and persistent vexatious conduct...may commence a civil action in a court of common pleas with jurisdiction over the person who allegedly engaged in the habitual and persistent vexatious conduct to have that person declared a vexatious litigator.” 81 Due to the continuous vexatious conduct that the Defendant has exhibited through the habitual, persistent, and groundless filing of motions and pleadings against the Plaintiffs and other parties, the Defendant is a vexatious litigator. 82. The Plaintiffs request that the Court declare that Defendant Jose Villavicencio is a “vexatious litigator” under R.C. § 2323.52. 83 Accordingly, under R.C. § 2323.52(D)(1), the Plaintiffs request that the Court enter an order subjecting the Defendant to the scrutiny of this Court prior to instituting legal proceedings, continuing legal proceedings, or making any application besides an application for leave. 84. Under R.C. § 2323.52(H), the Plaintiffs also request that the Clerk of this Court then send a certified copy of the order to the Ohio Supreme Court for publication in a manner that the Supreme Court determines is appropriate and that will facilitate all lower courts in refusing to accept pleadings from the Defendant submitted without leave to proceed. 15 Franklin County Ohio Clerk of Courts of the Common Pleas- 2024 Feb 02 1:08 PM-24CV000987 0G711 - Y44 85. Additionally, although attorney fees are not ordinarily recoverable under the American Rule, Ohio law allows attorney fees to be recovered where the losing party has acted vexatiously. See Metro Renovations 12, LLC v. Sabir, 215 N.E.3d 1242, 1258 (5" Dist. 2023), citing Sorin v. Board of Ed. Of Warrensville Heights School Dist., 46 Ohio St.2d 177, 181 (1976). 86. The Plaintiffs request reasonable attorney fees as appropriate and incurred by the Plaintiffs in prosecution of this case. RELIEF REQUESTED Based on the foregoing, the Plaintiffs demand as follows 1 that the Defendant be declared a “Vexatious Litigator” under Ohio law; i that the Court enter an order subjecting the Defendant to the scrutiny of the Court, and require the Defendant to seek leave of the Court before instituting legal proceedings, continuing legal proceedings (such as through filing motions), or making any application besides an application for leave; ili that the Clerk send a certified copy of the order to the Supreme Court of Ohio in a manner that the Supreme Court determines is appropriate and that will facilitate a clerk of a court of appeals, court of common pleas, municipal court, or county court in refusing to accept pleadings or other papers submitted by the Defendant when he fails to obtain leave to proceed; Iv that the Plaintiffs be awarded reasonable attorney fees, as appropriate and incurred by the Plaintiffs in prosecution of this case; and any further relief as the Court deems appropriate. 16 Franklin County Ohio Clerk of Courts of the Common Pleas- 2024 Feb 02 1:08 PM-24CV000987 OG711 - Y4 Respectfully submitted, /s/ James A. Coutinho James A. Coutinho (0082430) AndrewD. Rebholz (0102192) Allen Stovall Neuman & Ashton LLP 10 West Broad Street, Suite 2400 Columbus, Ohio 43215 T: (614) 221-8500; F: (614) 221-5988 coutinho@asnalaw.com; rebholz@asnalaw.com Counsel for New Perspective Asset Management LLC & CITY OF COLUMBUS, DEPARTMENT OF LAW ZACH KLEIN, CITY ATTORNEY /s/ Christopher C. Clark Christopher C. Clark (0096257) Assistant City Attorney 375 South High Street, 17" Floor Columbus, Ohio 43215 Phone: (614) 645-5670 Fax: (614) 645-6548 ccclark@columbus.gov Counsel for City of Columbus, Ohio 17 Franklin County Ohio Clerk of Courts of the Common Pleas- 2024 Feb 02 1:08 pm-2acvdnaXda i b it A OG711 - Y4 Page 1 of 13 FIL IN THE FRANKLIN COUNTY MUNICIPAL GOWRTE ‘ounty Municipal Court ENVIRONMENTAL DIVISION AUG 21 2023 City of Columbus, Ohio LORI M. TYACK, CLERK Plaintiff, Case No. 2016 EVA 6b03 v. (Lead Consolidated Case!) South German Village Medical Center, LLC, etal., Judge Stephanie Mingo Defendants. State Ex. Rel Columbus City Attorney, Zach Klein, Plaintiff, Case No. 2021 EVH 60053 (Consolidated Case) Vv. South German Village, LLC, et al., Judge Stephanie Mingo Defendants. State Ex. Rel Columbus City Attomey, Zach. Klein, Plaintiff, Case No. 2022 EVH 60082 (Consolidated Case) Vv. South German Village Medical Center, LLC, Judge Stephanie Mingo etal, Defendants. 1 Pursuant to the Court’s Entry Consolidating Matters filed May 25, 2022 and the Order and Contempt Finding entered January 31, 2023 the following cases before this Court have been consolidated: 2016 EVH 60013, 2021 EVH 60053, 2022 EVH 60082, 2022 EVH 60507, and 2022 EVH 60624. Franklin County Ohio Clerk of Courts of the Common Pleas- 2024 Feb 02 1:08 pm-2acvdnaXda i b it A 0G711 - Y47 Page 2 of 13 City of Columbus, Ohio Plaintiff, Case No. 2022 EVH 60507 Vv. (Consolidated Case) ARGOUS LLC, et al., Judge Stephanie Mingo Defendants. State Ex. Rel Columbus City Attorney, Zach Klein, Plaintiff, Case No, 2022 EVH 60624 (Consolidated Case) Vv. JRV SEPIRA LLC, et al., Judge Stephanie Mingo Defendants. ORDER APPOINTING RECEIVER AND APPROVING REHABILITATION PLAN This matter comes before the Court on the Motion to Appoint Receiver (the “Motion”) filed by Plaintiff City of Columbus, Ohio. Through the Motion and pursuant to R.C. § 3767.41, the Plaintiff requests that the Court appoint a receiver over the following real property (the “Properties”) to abate the nuisances at the Properties. 1. 2-8 Reeb Ave. Columbus, OH 43207 Parcel No. 010-053241-00 36 E. Innis Ave. Columbus, OH 43207 Parcel No. 010-050784-00 238-240 Reeb Ave. Columbus, OH 43207 Parcel No. 010-038210-00 289-291 Brehl Ave. Columbus, OH 43223 Parcel No. 010-069942-00 Franklin County Ohio Clerk of Courts of the Common Pleas- 2024 Feb 02 1:08 pm-2acvdnaXda i b it A 0G711 - Y48 Page 3 of 13 5. 315-317 Taylor Ave. Colulmbus, OH 43203 010-033461-00 364-366 E. Innis Ave. Columbus, OH 43207 010-047389-00 377 Berkeley Rd. Columbus, OH 43205 Parcel No. 010-043652-00 463 8. 22™4 St. Columbus, OH 43205 Parcel No. 010-030360-00 629-631 S. Wheatland Ave. Columbus, OH 43204 Parcel No. 010-094530-00 10. 665 S. 22" St. Columbus, OH 43205 Parcel No. 010-000193-00 11. 669 8. 22™ St, Columbus, OH 43205 Parcel No. 010-043166-00 12, 841-843 Ann St. Columbus, OH 43206 Parcel No. 010-052905-00 13. 929-931 Bellows Ave. Columbus, OH 43223 Parcel No. 010-042603-00 14. 1270 S. Ohio Ave. Columbus, OH 43206 Parcel No. 010-032342-00 15. 1931 S. Parsons Ave. Columbus, OH 43207 Parcel No. 010-015293-00 Franklin County Ohio Clerk of Courts of the Common Pleas- 2024 Feb 02 1:08 pm-2acvdnaXda i b it A OG711 - Y4 Page 4 of 13 16. 2504 Bar Harbor Pl. Columbus, OH 43207 Parcel No. 010-148624-00 The Plaintiff recommends that New Perspective Asset Management, LLC (“NPAM”), through its principals Dana Milligan (“Ms. Milligan”) and Shawn Parker (‘“Mr. Parker”), be appointed. as receiver in this case. The Plaintiff further seeks approval of NPAM’s professionals to assist in this matter. A copy of the Motion and a notice of the hearing was served on the owner of the Properties and all known lienholders on the Properties (the “Lienholders”), Sufficient time lapsed for an objection to the Motion to be filed, and no objection was filed. Upon consideration of the Motion, the Court finds the Motion to be well-taken and it is hereby GRANTED. Pursuant to R.C. § 3767.41, the Court finds that itis appropriate to appoint a receiver over the Properties for the purpose of abating the nuisances. The Court makes the following findings: A Jurisdiction and venue are appropriate in this Court because of the Properties being in Franklin County, Ohio. B This is a nuisance abatement action involving the Properties. The City filed claims under R.C. § 3767.41 (buildings found to be a public nuisance), and the Columbus City Code. The owners of the Properties have failed to adequately maintain the Properties, causing them to deteriorate to the point where they are now a hazard to public health, safety, and welfare in violation of the Columbus Nuisance Abatement Code. Cc. All prerequisites to the appointment of a receiver over the Properties as required by R.C. § 3767.41 have been met as follows: 0G711 - Franklin Count ty Ohio Clerk of Courts of the Common Pleas- 2024 Feb 02 1:08 P. Y¥50 w-zacvemmdaibit A Page 5 of 13 The Court has previously determined that the Properties are a public nuisance. R.C. §3767.41(C)Q). The Court has determined that the owners of the Properties have been afforded a reasonable opportunity to abate the nuisance and have refused or failed to do so. Hd. Each of the Lienholders has had an opportunity to undertake the work to abate the nuisance and has not committed to or submitted a plan to do so. Id. NPAM, being a qualified third party that is willing to undertake the work, has submitted a viable financial and construction plan for the Properties. R.C. § 3767.41(C)(3) (the “Rehabilitation Plan”). The Rehabilitation Plan submitted by NPAM meets all requirements of R.C. § 3767.41(D) and is approved. D. The Court finds that the appointment of a receiver under R.C. § 3767.41 is an appropriate remedy for the abatement of the nuisances in this matter, and it is an appropriate solution for the rehabilitation of the Properties. It is therefore ORDERED as follows: APPOINTMENT OF RECEIVER 1 Appointment of Receiver. New Perspective Asset Management, LLC, through its principals, Ms. Milligan and Mr. Parker, is immediately appointed as Receiver (the “Receiver”) over the Properties. 2. Purpose of Receivership. The purpose of this receivership is for the Receiver to abate the nuisances at the Properties and rehabilitate the Properties in accordance with the Rehabilitation Plan. 3 Approval of Rehabilitation Plan a