Faulted home-repair program Morancie critic refuses city search Ted Hanson “The issue .. is Morancie”” By Christopher Quinn and Mark Rollenhagen PatriowNews: The man who prompted City Council to scold community devel- ‘opment director Horace L. Moran cle has refused to allow Morancie's department to investigate a com- plaint against his house. ‘Ted Hanson of 434 Boas St. ‘would not let housing inspector Leonard Davenport into the house yesterday morning Davenport oblained a search warrant yesterday afternoon and was set to enter Hanson's resi- dence today. However, he had not served the Warrant by noon. Davenport's efforts began af= ter Morancie ordered codes bureat, director Ronald I Buxton to inves~ tigate a complaint that Hanson is ‘operating a rooming house with: ‘out a permit. Morancie said he ‘00k the complaint by phone Mon- say. ‘A City Couneil meeting Mon- day night capped Hanson's month= long effort to force Morancie to answer questions on allegations of shoddy work overseen by the De- partment of Community and Eco- ‘homie Development. ‘Council members and Hanson agilled Moraneie for what many City residents claim is his depart ‘ment’s repeatedly botched han- dling of a home-repair program. funded with federal tax dollars In the heated meeting, Morancie promised improvements. “One day after I talked at @ public meeting, I'm harassed by ‘this man," Hanson said yesterday. “T-knew It was Hanson, but that had nothing to do with i," Morancie said “There's no harassment. There See SEARCH—Page AS Horace L. Morancie “There's no harassment’*Search warrant will open doors to Hanson's house Search From Page AL {s no Intent of harassment. It's being handled the way 1 Would ‘normally handle any information T Morancie stld he received a call — trom someone he refused to name — complaining that three fenants were living ia Hanson's house. He ordered Buxton to deter~ ‘ine whother Hanson's home is & rooming house Three tenants, however, do not a rooming house make. The city code says a building becomes & rooming house when “moze than three" tenants live there. ‘Acting city. Solicitor Judith Brown Schimmel confirmed yes- terday that more than three tenants must live ina building for Itto bea rooming house. “1 don't go look at the codified ‘ordinances every time I gets com plain,” Morancie seid. He sald Baxton should decide whether the ‘complaint is worth investigating. Hanson said the complaint ‘against him is unfounded — he never had more than one house mate ata time “The issu isn’t whether Thave 4 roommate,” Hanson said. “It's Horace Morancie and his depart- ment.” “That doesn’t matter, according to Buxton, who sald he must inves- tigate all of the 30 to 40 complaints reported daily — even if they are ‘anonymous. “Any complaint we get in this office is" investigates,” Buxton said, "We aren't selective.” ‘Schimmel, who opposes inves: tigating anonymous. complaints, seid anyone with a grugge can force a city investigation simply ‘by making an anonymous phone tip, She said City Couneil wants all. complaints investigated, Inspectors handling com- plaints first attempt to look over the properties. If homeowners refuse to cooperate, inspectors ob- tala search warrants. District Justice Joseph, Solo- mon issued a warrant for “com- plete Interior inspection” of Hane son’s property on Davenport's allegation that Hanson violated ety code. Nine out of 10 inspections find “some violation,” Morancie said.