Rental property in the 700 block of 3rd Avenue in Wausau. Image courtesy: WAOW-TV
WAUSAU, WI (WSAU) — A Wausau landlord accused of not keeping up with maintenance and ignoring both city and tenant orders for repairs has entered a not guilty plea to four felony and two misdemeanor charges in the case.
Bryan Morel was in court Monday to waive a preliminary hearing of the charges and enter the plea. Charges include four counts of theft or false representation of between five and ten thousand dollars, tampering with public notices, and violation of notice that a building is unfit for occupancy.
Morel owned a rental property in the 700 block of Third Avenue in Wausau that showed several city code violations and was not compliant with orders to clean up the property going back to February of 2021. That led to the building being declared unfit for human habitation.
In addition to ignoring orders to fix up the property, Morel is accused of removing notices from the city that were left for the residents.
Renters added that they were unable to contact Morel to put in maintenance requests, adding that last winter the heat went out in at least one of the units. Cockroaches were also found in the apartments and an attached bar.
The 40-year-old will return to court on February 15th. In the meantime, he’s free on a $5,000 signature bond with orders to have no contact with the victims
Comments