Wendy Rist, Owner of Bakersfield Arms
"Know your friends. Know your enemies. First get a lay of the land. Know who you are dealing with."
In this small section of Uphams Corner, Wendy Rist is known only as the
"owner of 27-37 Bakersfield Street" otherwise known as Bakersfield
Arms.
Wendy Rist introduced herself to the Annapolis neighborhood residents
on October 25th. She presented herself as contrite and humble,
wanting to do good for the community and she cited a long list of her
efforts, apparently to demonstrate that she is not a "slumlord."
See article: Annapolis Neighborhood Meeting Breaks Down in Shouting and Anger
Since purchasing the property, she has upgraded the site with wrought
iron fence, better landscaping, closing off the back to prevent "escape
routes" and, she says, she built a condominium on Sumner Street.
At the same time, she admitted to not using professional rental agency
staff to screen her tenants and seemed unaware of the problems caused
by at least three of her tenants until she was presented with detailed
police records. Residents seemed perplexed by her low level of
professionality while she responded: "I do the best I can," what you
might expect of a homegrown business person, an amateur, who doesn't
yet know the ropes.
"I just want to get this behind me," she stated in her prepared and
read letter to the Annapolis Neighborhood meeting - humble,
apologetic - even embarrassed . At the same time, rehabbing
Bakersfield Arms is one level of property management but building a
condominium close by is totally different - more on the professional
scale. Her humble presentation and her actions did not add up.
Wendy Rist, Small Business Owner
According to the online small business networking site, Manta
(www.manta.com), Wendy Rist is the owner of two real estate firms.
Note that the firms’ location is also one of the properties listed
under her ownership by the City of Boston Assessing.
Jamaica Plain Realty
2985 Washington Street
Roxbury, MA 02119-1201
Phone: (617) 989-9800
Jamaica Plain Realty in Roxbury, MA is a private company which is
listed under real estate buyers representatives. Current estimates show
this company has an annual revenue of Less than $500,000 and employs a
staff of 1 to 4.
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Crest Realty Management
2985 Washington Street
Roxbury, MA 02119-1201
Phone: (617) 541-0834
Crest Realty Management in Roxbury, MA is a private company which is
listed under real estate buyers representatives. Current estimates show
this company has an annual revenue of $500,000 to $1 million and
employs a staff of 5 to 9.
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Wendy Rist, Multi-Millionaire City of Boston Property Owner
According to the City of Boston Assessing, Wendy Rist, usually through
trusts (Wendy Rist Trust), is the owner of 23 separate properties with
an assessed value of over $12 million. Such a set of holdings is not the
game of an amateur.
Enter the Problem Properties Task Force
On July 13, 2011, Chapter IX of City of Boston Code was amended to include an
ordinance (9-13.1) establishing the Problem Properties Task Force.
Click here to view the ordinance.
In the seventeen months since its creation, the group can cite a long
list of accomplishments and many properties remain under
review. The Task Force is still learning what
actions are needed / can be taken to rid the
city of its problem properties in the most efficacious manner and
within the law established by this ordinance and through the use of the legal powers
granted to effect change.
One such power granted, much talked about, but not yet used in any
significant way, was the power to issues fines (bills) against a property as a
real estate tax levy.
When
the City sent Ms. Rist a bill for just under $24,000 ($23,809) - costs
incurred by the city for 45 days of 24x7 police detail, it generated
headlines and feature articles in the press and on National Public
Radio.
As of Monday, November 19, 2012, she and her lawyer, Robert Russo, were
meeting with the Problem Properties Task Force Appeals Board to argue
against the charges. It will take at least a couple weeks before
the appeals board makes a decision.
As reported in the Boston Herald, her attorney, Robert Russo, said
he’ll fight the fine — which he said the city already has tacked onto
Rist’s property tax bill. “Is it reasonable and necessary for a police
car to be stationed outside a property for 24 hours a day? I think the
answer is no,” he said. “I can appreciate how the police are trying to
recoup some costs. A city, like everyone else, is looking to save some
money. But this is not the way to do it.
“In the event I lose this case, I will appeal to the courts. This is a
case of first impression, and it’s ripe for appeal,” Russo said.
As is usually the case in matters of litigation, both sides require deep
pockets before entering the game. The City will need to continue to use personnel to work on
problem properties (our tax dollars) as well as potentially "fight"
the appeals and Ms. Rist will either need to pay the bill to the City or
pay the bills to her lawyers.
Wendy Rist, Good Neighbor?
One more point of interest.
At the Annapolis meeting on October 25, Wendy was asked: "Where
do you live?" She answered: "Quincy." At the Task
Force hearing on 11/19, she provided a legal residence of 301 Northey
Hill Rd Lisbon, NH 03585-0000, a 150+ mile and 3hour+ trip from Boston.
At
the neighborhood meeting, she did not so answer the residents.
Was she truthful in stating Quincy? Is Quincy her weekday
home? Is New Hampshire her
weekend home? Perhaps it is none of the residents' business where
Ms. Rist lives, only that they be afforded outstanding property
management for 27-37 Bakersfield Street.
Clearly, Wendy Rist is a 63-year old professional property owner with significant resources
at her disposal to manage her properties in a way that benefits both
herself and the community. Instead of fighting the City of Boston
and using her resources to defend herself by paying lawyers, it would
behoove her to cooperate with the City and to demonstrate to the Annapolis neighborhood and to Uphams Corner the
Wendy she presented at the October 25th meeting, the Wendy that appeared to want
to "be a good neighbor."
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