CINCINNATI — Residents at a Cincinnati apartment complex are possibly facing eviction after they say a former property manager pocketed their rent money.
Tenants at The Evanston Apartments, a Cincinnati Metropolitan Housing Authority property managed by Touchstone Property Services, said they paid their rent in full but are now receiving eviction notices.
Marvin Barnes, who moved into the complex in late 2024, said the former property manager instructed him to sign blank money orders.
"When I first moved in, I paid with my money orders. He told me not to fill out all of the information because I didn’t know what to put down," Barnes said.
Months later, Barnes discovered the money orders were made out to the property manager's name instead of Touchstone or the housing authority.
Other tenants shared similar stories with us on Thursday. One man said he received an eviction notice claiming he owed $1.
"The mathematics is not working out," that resident said. "We was going to the manager's office. They were shutting the doors on us. You’ve had two other managers that done quit in a month’s time."
Bishops Sonny James and Peterson Mingo are rallying alongside the residents to demand answers.
James said he was “appalled” when contacted by residents.
"These are real lives. These are real people that have a heart, and truth be told, they’re paying their bills, but you send out letters to evict them. One letter says, $1. Come on, folks, this is Cincinnati," James said.
James praised residents for choosing peace during their protest.
"I’m honored that I’m advocating with a group that chose to grill out versus acting out," James said.
WATCH: Residents demand answers from CMHA and the property management company
James urged Touchstone to act quickly.
"Touchstone, you’ve got to do a better job. You’ve got to mend these wrongs, you’ve got to correct every illegitimate debt, and we are not going away," James said.
Mingo said he shares those same concerns.
"They’re not a mob. They’re residents where they've been calling home. What happens when home will no longer be there? What happens when somebody puts money above people?" Mingo said.
Christopher Travis, an attorney representing Barnes, said discussions are ongoing with city and CMHA officials.
"It seems to be a process that's deep. What I can tell you is that I have not had pushback from the City of Cincinnati. The City of Cincinnati has primarily shown concern for what's going on," Travis said.
WCPO asked the Cincinnati Metropolitan Housing Authority about the status of a reported investigation into this and what is being done to protect residents. In a statement, CMHA said the notices residents received this week were to provide them with an opportunity to "correct the situation or come and speak to property management about their situation."
CMHA said residents can come to the property management office at the following times to discuss any rent issues:
- Friday, April 10, from 8 a.m. to noon
- Monday, April 13, from 8 a.m. to noon
- Tuesday, April 14, from 8 a.m. to noon
They have also turned over all information on "the actions of a former property manager" to the Cincinnati Police Department for investigation. CMHA said the investigation is still ongoing.
EDITOR'S NOTE: An earlier version of this story incorrectly listed the location of the apartment community as being in Norwood rather than in the Evanston neighborhood of Cincinnati. WCPO 9 regrets the error.
