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10Listens: Power abruptly shut off to dozens of Gatlinburg motel renters

In a letter dated the day before, dozens of renters at Creekside Inn of the Smokies and Ski View Motel were told their power would be shut off and that the owners did not know 'if or when power will ever be restored.'

Gatlinburg — A desperate situation has developed in Sevier County after dozens of long-term renters at Creekside Inn of the Smokies and Ski View Motel in Gatlinburg had their power suddenly shut off with little notice.

The current owners, Maury and Joan Greenstein of Ohio, sent a letter to current renters Tuesday saying the prior landlord who had leased the low-income motel property, Stuart Kaplow, had died several days ago.

According to the Greensteins, who had a long association with Kaplow, there were several issues that needed to be resolved in the wake of his death, including paying for power.

Records show a pattern of disputes between Kaplow and Gatlinburg and Ohio officials over upkeep of numerous motel properties.

The Smoky Mountain Rescue Ministry was offering temporary help to residents of the two motels.

According to Tuesday's letter, Kaplow had been subleasing rooms in the property to several families and individuals and offering weekly rentals.

The letter said the Greensteins were working with Sevier County Electric System (SCES) after it announced intentions to disconnect power to the property 8 a.m. Wednesday, and that they did not know "if or when power will ever be restored" if the utility company followed through. The owners also said they were "not optimistic" it could be quickly resolved.

SCES followed through Wednesday morning and shut power off. Officials told 10News they had to do their job and that this has been an ongoing issue with the on-site management of the property for months.

According to a representative with Sevier County Electric, the management hadn't paid the bills, and now they said it's believed more than 100 people could be forced out because of the situation if no one intervenes -- even though management had reportedly collected rent just days prior without telling the tenants of the ongoing situation.

Current renters confirmed their power was cut off Wednesday morning.

WBIR 10News has received dozens of calls since renters learned of the short-notice situation after the letter was left at their door Tuesday. Residents said they were blindsided by the news and now are struggling to figure out what to do.

Many of the renters said they depended on being able to live in the rental units, saying they had nowhere else to go. Families calling from as far away as Indiana said they want answers and an immediate resolution to the situation for their loved ones.

Some residents claim they lived alongside families with young children and cancer patients, who are now also without power.

The Sevier County Economic Development Council, which oversees residential and commercial property development in the area, said it was just made aware of the situation this morning.

Sevier County Electric Explains What Happened

Stanley Stiles, the secretary and treasurer of SCES, said the properties were just two of a handful that were formerly managed by Kaplow, including the Rainbow Motel and the Travelers Motel on Highway 321 that burned down in the 2016 wildfires, killing two tenants.

Both Rainbow and Travelers had been taken over by Apex Bank in Knoxville and did not have power cut off, according to Stiles. Stiles said Creekside and Ski View, however, did not have anyone to take over immediate responsibility -- so the power was shut off to those two locations following a legal standoff.

Stiles said normally SCES will carry an account until 10 days before a second bill is due. He said some of the accounts managed by Kaplow had been two or three months past due, though, and that the payments had been minimal when they did come in.

Stiles said they tried everything to work with legal teams until 4:30 p.m. on May 22, when attorneys said it became clear the bank wasn't going to pay the outstanding balance. Because power has been shut off, he said with reactivation fees it would now cost roughly double what was originally owed to turn the power back on.

City of Gatlinburg officials released the following statement about the issue: "The City has been made aware of the loss of power at Creekside and Ski View Motels. Ultimately this matter concerns Sevier County Electric Service and its customers, over which the City of Gatlinburg has no control. However, this is an unfortunate situation and we are sensitive to the residents of Creekside and Ski View Motels. We hope this situation will be resolved quickly."

Legal disputes

In the early 2000s, a Columbus, Ohio--area judge ordered Kaplow to live in one of his own properties as punishment after finding he'd allowed numerous rental properties to slip into decay.

Kaplow eventually moved to Gatlinburg where he leased a number of multi-unit residential properties from the Greensteins, according to records.

One of them was known as the Ski Mountain Motel, a former motel on Ski Mountain Road.

In 2011, Gatlinburg officials served notice they intended to condemn a number of units on the low-income property because of unsafe conditions. Problems included weak structures, cracked balconies, exposed rebar, deteriorating retaining walls, a storm drain pipe that ended up supporting the building under which it ran, and poor roof conditions.

"The noted damage is a produce of substandard maintenance and upkeep, which has resulted in the loss of structural integrity to the buildings," one written report stated.

Kaplow fought back, but the Gatlinburg Board of Adjustments and Appeals upheld the city move.

The dispute wound up before the Tennessee Court of Appeals, which affirmed the condemnations against Kaplow and Maury Greenstein.

In June 2013, Kaplow also sued the city of Gatlinburg in U.S. District Court in Knoxville, alleging the city had illegally taken his property. He did not prevail, and Judge Curtis L. Colllier ordered the case closed in March 2016.

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