Dr. Glen Wilt Found Negligent

Dr. Glen Wilt, ASU professor of economics and real estate investor, was found negligent of his duties as a landlord in the tragic fire which destroyed the Pioneer Hotel and adjacent Globe Theater in the summer of 2005. The jury trial, which was held in Gila County Court took 6 days to present all the evidence and took a jury of ten just over 2 hours to send down a verdict. They found for the Plantiffs, Frank Balaam and his wife Nora, and awarded them $223,000 for the loss of nearly 1000 pieces of artwork stretching over 30 years. The artwork was being housed in his gallery space within the Pioneer Hotel at the time of the fire. The other three plantiffs  in the case had reached out of court settlements prior to yesterday’s verdict. They included the Hollis family (Globe Theater), Tony and Chris Brusca (Java Junction) and Amanda and Tim Haas (Animal Magnetism).

Wilt, who owns over 80 properties throughout Gila, Pinal, Maricopa and Yavapai counties, says he  just “likes old buildings” and while 40% of his holdings are residential (mostly in Tempe), the majority of his holdings include old buildings throughout Globe, Miami and Superior.

He purchased the historic 1916 hotel from Patrick Harris in December 0f 2003 for the sum of $210,000 and said he felt the Pioneer Hotel was his “jewel.” Despite this professed fondness for the building, court records show that he did little to secure the long range health of the building. He fixed a cornice which was threatening to fall on the sidewalk below, but when it came to water leaks which was an on-going problem in the building,  his solution was to put down large swaths of black plastic which ran down the stairways and along the hallways. As he said, “It is a method I learned when I was a sophomore in Michigan. The idea is that you let the water sit on top of the plastic until it evaporates.”

Wilt acknowledged the need to make sure there was no electrical in the upper unoccupied portions of any building, and to secure the building in a manner which would prevent others from getting into it causing damage, harm or mischief. Yet his testimony indicates he fell short on both accounts. Dr. Wilt did two walk-throughs of the Pioneer Hotel before committing to the purchase. He said the second walk-through was with a partner, who he identified as a building contractor, and indicated he was aware of the makeshift apartment which the former owner had built on the 4th floor. The apartment included appliances, power tools, a jet-tub in the bathroom and lights.

However, when he took over the building, he found one lone electrical cord running from the 2nd floor to the 4th floor.He told the court he followed the cord to the 2nd floor where it was plugged into a pigtail which dropped into the floor. He unplugged the cord, wound it up and placed it on the 4th floor. According to testimony, he never checked out any other sources of electrical on the upper floors – nor, it seems did his partner who, as a building contractor would have had the means to check this issue thoroughly. Wilt indicated on the stand that he relied on his partner to let him know what was needed, yet it seems the only input he gave Wilt after walking through the hundred year old building was the understated truth; “It was a big job.”

There is no indication that Wilt asked for or received any greater detail than that on the building’s condition and maintenance issues.

Issues began surfacing almost immediately, brought to his attention by the tenants who rented space on the first floor.  The roof which had leaked ‘some’ prior to Wilt taking ownership, began leaking more and more. And with Patrick Harris no longer living on the 4th floor, the upper floors offered an attractive haven to those who could find their way in – as they did by crossing the roof of the theater to gain access to 2nd floor windows or through a transom on the alley.

As these issues surfaced Wilt said he would “try to send somebody up.” His solution of putting down swaths of black plastic or re-applying plywood to the windows “with a few more screws” was not a “complete remedy” as he stated in court.

During examination by his own attorneys, Wilt said “…he would respond to maintenance requirements on the Pioneer Hotel just like he did for all his properties.”

This opened the door for the prosecution to bring in testimony and evidence relating to his other properties.  They called Globe Fire Marshall Joe Bracomonte and Superior Fire Marshall Todd Pryor who outlined a pattern of forced compliance on even basic maintenance issues such as weeds and properly stored items. Here in Globe, Wilt faces several outstanding citations to address issues with the Taekwondo Buildings, Elks Building, Old Hill Street School property and Globe School property. According to testimony in the trial, Wilt seems to respond only under a direct court order to do so (no informal ‘lets-work-this-out’ talks) and while  Wilt has taken marginal action to correct small things (weeds & storage) he is less proactive on issues which affect a buildings long-term health such as broken windows, transient access and upgrading electrical to meet basic safety concerns. According to Fire Inspector, Joe Bracomonte, Wilt has only addressed 25% of all outstanding citations on his properties within Globe. In Superior, Wilt faces sentencing in the Superior Courts on December 17th regarding his failure to comply with 8 counts and 11 citations on his properties in that community.

As a professor of economics, Dr. Glen Wilt has taught young minds the art and essence of economics for over 40 years. Yet, it is his penchant for collecting real estate – especially old buildings- and letting them crumble under his watch which may prove to be his greatest legacy. It is a case study in one man’s irresponsible disregard for his investments, his tenants and the communities which he says he values.

(An op-ed piece in the Globe Miami Times written December ’08 by another investor James Dowley reflects on this issue of responsible stewardship. Dowley, who spent nearly three years and thousands of dollars restoring the old Globe Cafe, knows what it requires to take on an old historic buildings and invest in their future)

Local Radio host, Bill Taylor of gila101.9, was on-hand in the Safeway parking lot with his “Wilt” doll immediately following the trial and invited anyone who wished to “Stick it to Wilt” to stop by. They did.

For those interested in seeing what the Pioneer Hotel looked like just months before the fire, take a look at photographer Bill Woody’s images taken in April of 2005. Woody, who is a fine art photographer based in Ohio has been to the Globe-Miami area often to photograph. He focuses his lens on abandoned places and finds the Globe-Miami area ideal for his subject matter.  He was given permission to photograph the Pioneer Hotel in April of 2005, just 4 months prior to the fire. These are the last photos taken of the Pioneer.