April 8, 2003 — Ohio University and Ambling Co. have 37 more years to go in a University Courtyard lease that in the past three years has been a partnership spotted with lawsuits and construction abuses.
As prospective Courtyard residents finalize leases for next fall, Ambling is readying itself for a June trial rife with controversy. They will face evidence of child and illegal immigrant labor, and the charge that the company failed to pay appropriate wages — sometimes more than $20 below the state-enforced union wage in Ohio.
Steve Derwent's University Courtyard apartment was new in November 2001, but soiled by paint on the carpet, glue-smeared tiles, dangling dry wall tape and nails protruding through the wall. The bathroom mirror was not yet installed, the kitchen counters did not match, the washing machine was not secure, cabinets and drawers were displaced, the dishwasher leaked into the living room and his mailbox was sitting around, somewhere.
"And this place was built in the year 2001," he said.
Ohio Commerce department inspectors found a 12-year-old working plaster and a 9-year-old picking up trash on the site, Ginty said. A 13-year-old, Larry Collins, filed an affidavit in Athens County Common Pleas Court in 2001. He said he worked seven hours without a break, carrying doors and doorframes for $40.
"I don't believe there was ever an illegal immigrant on the job," said Kotowski, who was present for much of the construction. "These were clearly not people from Ohio, but people who lived in the United States, or had visas to be working in the United States. On the surface, you can't tell."
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