Small Town News

Glenn Wilt wracks up hefty fine on property upkeep judgment on Superior sites

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A judgment of $18,500 was logged against Superior property owner Glenn A. Wilt at a December 17 sentencing hearing in Superior Magistrate Court

Wilt was found guilty in absentia November 19 of 11 misdemeanor counts related to the upkeep of eight of his Superior properties.

Wilt, 75, a professor often referred to as "Dr. Wilt," is a Tempe resident who owns a large amount of property throughout the area. He has faced a number of legal challenges over his stewardship of these locations.

Most recently, following a civil trial in Gila County Superior Court and unrelated to Wilt's Superior legal problems, plaintiff Frank Balaam was awarded $223,000 against Wilt in conjunction with the 2005 fire of Wilt's building, the Pioneer Hotel in Globe. Balaam owned an art gallery that was housed in the hotel. The next-door Globe Theater owned by Bobby Hollis burned in the blaze as well. Hollis and Anthony Brusca, who also owned a business in the Pioneer Hotel building, filed lawsuits but settled out of court.

In the unrelated proceedings in Superior Magistrate Court December 17, Wilt appeared in person, which he had not done during his November 19 trial there on the 11 misdemeanor counts. He had failed to appear at that time or send a representative. Judge Larry Bravo had waited 11 minutes and started the trial on the criminal charges that the eight Superior properties owned by Wilt violated a municipal code making it unlawful to maintain property that is hazardous, "to wit" (namely) that contains dilapidated structures, weeds and litter, and/or junk vehicles.

At the sentencing hearing, Wilt apologized for his previous absence. He said he had been mistaken in the time of the trial. He added that when he had started to drive up to attend, he had become ill.

Superior Town Manager Melanie Oliver testified on behalf on the town regarding the sentencing. She said that the majority of the sites in question are commercial properties or if abated would have to be abated as commercial properties and these are held to a higher standard. She cited issues of public safety and the aspect of the locations in relationship to Superior's "gateway community."

Wilt, who was not represented by an attorney in the courtroom, disagreed with and questioned Oliver in detail on her characterization of the majority of the properties as being commercial and argued that four were not commercial.

He also updated the court on progress that had been made on his properties' upkeep. He expressed a plan to meet with the town manager following the hearing to get a list of what he still had to do to bring the sites up to code.

Wilt had the potential of being fined up to $2500 for each of the 11 criminal counts. But Town Attorney Michael Beers told the judge that he wasn't askingjor the maximum fine. He pointed out, though, that this was not the defendant's first offense. He said he wanted Wilt to leave the courtroom with the understanding that it was less expensive to comply with the code than not.

The judge outlined a formula by which each charge involving dilapidated structures was assessed higher than those involving only weeds and litter. The math was done and the final amount of $18,500 reached accordingly.



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