The real estate investor at the center of the controversy over the so-called “Red House on Mississippi” said he’s “overwhelmed” by aggressive demonstrations and occupation of the North Portland home and has offered to sell the property back to the former owners at cost.
Roman Ozeruga, 33, bought the house on North Mississippi Avenue through a foreclosure sale in 2018 for $260,000 and has offered to sell it back to the Kinney family, which had owned the house since the 1950s.
“We are a small family business, we don’t seek to hurt anyone of course,” said Ozeruga, the co-owner of Urban Housing Development LLC. “We’re overwhelmed by the attention to this. We’ve already offered to sell back the property at cost because of course we’ve paid taxes, legal fees, bank fees, etc.”
Ozeruga added that he’s been in touch with Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler’s office.
Wheeler has said that he hopes to negotiate a settlement to end the demonstrations at the site, which protesters have occupied since the summer in an attempt to block efforts to remove the family.
Ozeruga said he fears for his family’s well-being.
“I myself am a father of little kids,” he said. “I don’t have a publicity team or even a lawyer for this. I’m concerned for safety to be honest.”
Ozeruga moved to Portland from Ukraine when he was young. He and his older brother have bought and sold residential real estate since 2005, when Roman was 18.
They have acquired some of the properties through the foreclosure process. When a buyer falls behind on loan payments, the lender usually has the right to repossess the home and resell it in a foreclosure sale.
Widespread abuse of the foreclosure process by some of the biggest lenders in the country became a hallmark of the Great Recession of 2008-2012. Even when done properly it is a painful process for the former homeowner shoved out the door.
The longtime owners of the red house have refused to leave and have sued Ozeruga’s company and a slew of other companies claiming the foreclosure violated rights. The house has become a symbol of gentrification and racial inequity.
As for Wheeler, Ozeruga said the mayor’s staffers reached out to him to explore some sort of compromise.
“I haven’t spoken with the mayor himself, but with his office,” Ozeruga said. “I’m not sure what is going to happen.”
Ozeruga added that the current impasse reflects issues broader than a single residence. “Even after we give it back (and we offered that already), this issue won’t go away. It’s about mortgages, and laws and law enforcement.”
Jeff Manning
971-263-5164; jmanning@oregonian.com
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December 11, 2020 at 11:35AM
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Investor at center of N. Portland occupation says he’s ready to sell the ‘Red House’ back - OregonLive
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