Teresa Baker, interim executive director of Topeka-based Housing and Credit Counseling Inc., said the age of McGinnis' local properties is in line with most rental properties in Topeka.

Records show most of the local properties McGinnis owns - many of which were built in the 1960s and 70s - were bought in 20. McGinnis began investing in Topeka-area properties in 2015Īccording to Shawnee County Appraiser's Office records, 2015 appears to be the year McGinnis began his purchase spree of Topeka-area properties, amassing close to three dozen rental properties over the past six years.Ībout a dozen are located near Washburn University, a handful are close to downtown Topeka, and others are concentrated along Fairlawn Road or in southwest Topeka, south of 29th St. 'Weeds' - meaning a property has grass more than a foot tall - accounted for almost a quarter of the 380 cases, and 'sanitation' - which includes reports of excessive trash or debris around a property - accounted for about 12% of investigated cases. 'A lot of them are interior issues like broken faucets or a leaky roof, air conditioner that doesn't work, hot water that doesn't work.' 'Housing cases range anywhere from peeling paint to broken windows,' Haugen said. Of the roughly 380 cases property maintenance has investigated over the past six years, about 217 have fallen under the 'housing' category. 'It's becoming exhausting, because this taxes my staff.'Īccording to Haugen, violations may fall into one of about six different categories - housing, unsafe, sanitation, weeds, vehicle or housing condemnation. 'This guy's pushed it so many times,' Haugen said. Haugen said he couldn't think of another Topeka landlord with a higher number of cases against them than McGinnis. About 380 of those complaints were investigated, and a majority resulted in some sort of property violation being identified.

The Lovers by L.A. McGinnis