Third Avenue apartment owner wins reversal of chronic nuisance declaration

The owner of a rental property that had been declared a chronic nuisance by the city after fully cooperating with the city won an appeal against that declaration. 

Chad Thompson, who owns a mixed-used building at 1013 N. Third Avenue, appealed the declaration imposed by Wausau Police after they arrested one of his tenants and a guest for dealing drugs. 

The city’s Public Health and Safety Committee overturned the declaration following a hearing before the committee. In that hearing, Thompson explained that he had anonymously tipped off police about potential drug activity because he feared retaliation. Police investigated the complaint and arrested the tenant and others from that tip. 

Police notified Thompson that he could post a five-day eviction of the tenant, which he did. Thompson explained they had a young woman staying there from Michigan, and he let her stay there a few days so she could find somewhere else to go, which she did.