Landlord Sentenced to Own Apartment

A landlord convicted of violating housing codes was sentenced Monday to spend 60 days confined to a rundown apartment he owns, city officials said.

Sam Menlo has grossly neglected his 350-unit Ridgewood Gardens apartment complex at 1700 N. Temple St. in Anaheim, Orange County Superior Court Judge Michael Hayes ruled after touring the property last week.

Hayes ordered that Menlo wear an electronic tracking device to make sure he remains on the property, which has 15 buildings. Menlo also was ordered to upgrade one building a month using licensed contractors. If he violates the court’s conditions, he could serve up to 18 months in jail.

John Poole, code enforcement manager for the city, said the complex has more than 150 vacant apartments, many in extreme disrepair. The conditions are unsafe for those living there, he said.

“The windows are broken, there’s human defecation throughout, narcotics paraphernalia on the floors, graffiti and mold, which made it difficult to breathe.”

Menlo has been at odds with city officials for 12 years.

He was convicted earlier in Superior Court of violating city housing standards but was put on probation after he agreed to fix up the apartments. In a hearing that began last week, Menlo pleaded guilty to violating the probation agreement.