Ownership tangled at Hampton Court apartments

Ownership is having problems at Hampton Courts, two apartment buildings on First Avenue SE that tenants, neighbors and police say is a problem property.

"I'm trying to do something, but my hands are tied," said James D. Houghton, the partial owner whose name is listed in Iowa Secretary of State documents.

Houghton, a lawyer in Iowa City, said "there's some litigation" and referred me to another lawyer, Steve Ballard.

Ballard said a portion of the apartment buildings were owned by Gary Ehrenberger. Ehrenberger died last December after falling six stories from the roof of the Iowa Building, 411 Third St. SE, while he was doing maintenance work.

His estate has not participated in the upkeep of the Hampton Court apartments, Ballard said, which is why the property is tied up in court.

“The cost of keeping up the building has been borne mostly by James,” Ballard said.

Ballard referred me to Walt Steggall, another lawyer, one who represents Ehrenberger's estate. He wasn't in this afternoon.

Meanwhile, Brian Blakely, the guy whose apartment was burglarized a few weeks ago, has been evicted from his apartment for failure to pay rent. The front and back doors to the building were not secure. He said his rent money was stolen in the burglary.