Persistent neighbors get squatting drug dealer kicked out of Detroit house

For two months, squatters turned the charming Cape Cod in Detroit's historic West Village neighborhood into a drug den.

After their arrival, neighbors said, a woman was mugged, an attempted carjacking and rash of car break-ins occurred and suspicious individuals cased the street.

When the cable guy showed up at the bank-owned house, neighbors realized the squatters were there to stay.

That's right: The house at 656 Van Dyke St. had cable -- not to mention leather furniture, plenty of booze and a pit bull.

And the squatters were brazen.

Neighbors said they made drug deals on the sidewalk, in broad daylight, which the neighborhood's security patrol captured on videotape.

For weeks, the West Village Association pleaded for help. Its members called the police, the mayor's office, the utility companies, the bank that owned the property and the Free Press, which called police Wednesday.

Their persistence finally paid off.

At 8:30 p.m. Wednesday, police officers raided the house and arrested three people, including a convicted drug dealer with a lengthy rap sheet who had been paroled seven months ago. The cable bill was in his name.

It was lights out at 656 Van Dyke St.

Neighborhood's persistence pays off

For three years, Joshua Dorn enjoyed the peace and comforts of his quaint neighborhood in Detroit's historic West Village neighborhood.

The homes and lawns were well-kept. Neighbors were friendly, and the streets felt safe for walking.

Then came the drug-dealing squatters.

Roughly two months ago, neighbors said, people believed to be dealing drugs took over a century-old Cape Cod at 656 Van Dyke, wreaking havoc on the neighborhood.

Crimes followed. Fears escalated, especially after the trespassers ordered cable -- a sign they were planning to stay.

Neighbors and Dorn, a lifelong Detroiter and president of the West Village Association, fought back.

At 8:30 p.m. Wednesday, police raided the house and arrested three people -- including Jarvis Nolan, 34, a convicted drug dealer and habitual offender who was out on parole. He was charged with delivering heroin after authorities said he sold drugs to an undercover officer at Parker and Lafayette on Wednesday.

The two others were arrested on misdemeanor charges. Police also recovered cash, marijuana and drug paraphernalia from the house.

About three hours after the raid, someone firebombed the house. No one was hurt.

The bank-owned home was secured Thursday, although neighbors said several people kept showing up to the house throughout the day and knocking on the door, presumably unaware of the raid.

"I'm proud to be a Detroiter. This is a great neighborhood," Dorn said. "But the nicer areas in Detroit are shrinking, and we have to do everything we can to save them."

Help hard to get

Fighting the squatters, though, was no easy feat.

Dorn and several neighbors sought help from the police, the mayor's office, the utility companies, Bank of America, which owned the property, and the real estate agent in charge of selling the house.

For almost two months, residents said, nothing happened. The squatters were still there, they said, making drug deals on the sidewalk.

Of course, the West Village Association wasn't the only one with a squatter complaint.

"It's not an uncommon complaint that the city receives, given the thousands of abandoned buildings," said Stephen Serkaian, a spokesman for Mayor Dave Bing.

Police Chief Ralph Godbee Jr. said in a statement that police learned of the squatters because of neighborhood concerns. He also stressed that property owners can help prevent criminals from setting up shop in neighborhoods by securing their residential or commercial properties to keep out squatters.

"We realize that we have thousands of vacant buildings and homes, and some are being illegally occupied with persons participating in criminal activities," he said in the statement.

"We need the continued assistance of concerned citizens to make our communities safer."

Why it takes so long

As Dorn eventually learned, only the property owner can evict a squatter -- police can get involved only if there is proven illegal activity.

That's where the neighborhood security stepped in.

A security patrol officer videotaped what he said were drug deals in front of the house to prove to police "that something was going on."

"You could see the people coming and going, all hours of the day," said the security officer, who is not being named because of fears of retribution. "This stuff shouldn't -- and is not -- going to be tolerated. Everyone deserves a safe place to live."

Charles Caccione, the real estate agent Bank of America hired to sell the property, was also frustrated by the situation. He said he also contacted the police for help.

Caccione said that in squatter situations, the property owner can't physically force someone out and has to go through a formal eviction process as if the squatter were a real tenant, which can take months.

"Meanwhile, they're tearing the house apart, stealing copper, dealing drugs," he said. "It's a terrible process."

Dorn said he's glad police finally did act.

"It was a little longer than we would have liked, but we're happy with the outcome," he said.

Dorn also has advice for other Detroiters battling squatter issues:

"Don't stop complaining," he said. "Keep digging. And contact everyone you can."

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