Some St. Louis property owners are in shock after finding out they owe hundreds of thousands of dollars to the city — for repairs they didn’t agree to. It’s under investigation now

Jason Staten says the city has hit him with a $121,000 lien for work done to a home that’s been in his family for 70 years. He’s been working to fix it up, but it’s been vacant since he discovered asbestos a decade ago.

He claims the contractors hired by the city left him with a leaking roof and gutters that don’t work. But if he doesn’t pay, he risks losing the home entirely.

“What they did to my house and my family isn’t right,” Staten told local news program First Alert 4 Investigates. “[The home is] priceless. But to them, they’ll put a number on it and try to take it.”

The city says the program, which uses federal pandemic-relief funds, is meant to stabilize vacant properties that are in dangerous condition. But critics, including property owners and legal experts, are raising serious questions about the program's legality and execution.

Expensive bills for non-existent work

Staten is not alone in his frustration. Another property owner, Tony Pitale, told First Alert 4 Investigates he is facing a $100,000 bill for a new roof and other work done to an old car repair shop he bought. He hoped to turn it into a work-share space for people to repair their cars.

After buying the building, Pitale found out the city funded repairs to the property before he purchased it. The bill included $10,500 for floor joists and a subfloor — despite the building having a concrete slab instead. Another charge was to repair and replace stairs that are also not present at the property.

“The city blindly paid for things that clearly don’t exist,” Pitale said.

Former city judge and attorney Robert Dierker called the liens “forced rehab.” He acknowledges that Missouri building codes allow the city to remediate code violations but questions whether the program oversteps its legal and constitutional authority.

“This is breaking new ground,” Dierker told First Alert 4.

A spokesperson for the mayor’s office said the properties targeted for repair were selected based on a committee’s assessment of various factors. The spokesperson also stated that contractors were selected based on a competitive bid process.