Neighbors frustrated by UT student parties

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Sep. 17—Loud drinking parties in west Toledo's Indian Hills neighborhood near the University of Toledo main campus caused neighbors to complain to police on multiple occasions since the start of the school year.

John Schwartz, a neighbor, said he called police on at least five such occasions since Aug. 27 — mostly on weekends — about loud student parties with alleged underage drinking at a residence in the 3200 block of Kylemore Road, where he said UT student renters live.

A red strobing light on the house chimney signaled that a party was on, Mr. Schwartz said. At least a hundred people usually attend, he alleged.

"They are trying to make it a big party house. And as a neighborhood, we don't really want a big party house. My complaint is the noise, the trash, and cars driving all over the place," Mr. Schwartz said, adding that the parties keep him up at night.

He knows of another four households "who are frustrated," he said.

The parties — that allegedly run until about 3 a.m. — continued through Labor Day weekend, with the last two held the nights of Sept. 10 and Sept.11, into the wee hours of Sept. 12, according to Mr. Schwartz.

Hunter Apesos, 21, a UT senior majoring in pharmacy who originally is from Dayton, answered the door at the Kylemore address when The Blade knocked this week.

Mr. Apesos said he did not deny that loud parties took place but said there were never even close to 100 people attending because the parties are by invitation only and guest lists are never in excess of 35 people.

He has no knowledge of underage drinking at those parties, Mr. Apesos said.

The last time Mr. Schwartz called 911 to report a noisy party was Sept. 10, just before midnight, he said. He said he also called Engage Toledo, the city's customer service provider, and had them open a case.

The Blade contacted Toledo police, requesting information about all calls for service at this address, including all related police reports. Officer Andrew Dlugosielski, a Toledo police spokesman, said he had found one recent record of police responding to a call for service at that address.

The call was made at 11:35 p.m. on Sept. 10, for a noise disturbance, according to police records.

"The crew arrived at 12:25 a.m. and left at 12:40 a.m.," Officer Dlugosielski said in an email to The Blade. "It does not look like a report was taken or required for this specific call."

"Yes, we have the music loud, I am a 21-year-old who drinks and has music loud, " Mr. Apesos said. "They say there's underage drinking. But no, there isn't. I'm not handing out alcohol. And it's not my job to tell people what to do."

He said some of the neighbors "harass" him and the other four UT students renting the place (of whom two are underage) by placing notes on the building's doors and talking to police — in both instances making allegations of 100-people parties that involve underage drinking.

"They are legitimately lying to police," Mr. Apesos said, adding that those who complain the most live a few houses away and have never come down to the parties to ask him or his roommates to turn the music down.

Donnie Blake, 21, a renter who lives directly across the street from the house, said he is not bothered by the parties.

"They're just having a good time and they don't seem that loud to me," Mr. Blake said.

Samantha Brand, 23, a UT senior who with a couple of friends rents a house next to the house where Mr. Apesos lives, said the parties don't bother her much because she is a heavy sleeper.

"It bothers me a little bit," Ms. Brand said. "Mainly because when I have friends over they have nowhere to park. "And I wish they would clean up the [discarded] bottles and the cans. I'd rather they picked up afterward."

On Wednesday, a few of what looked like empty beer cans were visible on the grass lawn in front of the Kylemore home.

Mr. Schwartz also complained to Kurt McKee, the property owner, when he reached him on LinkedIn earlier this month, Mr. Schwartz said. One of the neighbors also talked to the renters at the Kylemore address but "nothing changed," he said.

Mr. McKee then allegedly replied — also on LinkedIn — that he would "relate his frustration to the renters" even though such parties are to be expected by someone living close to the campus, especially at the beginning of a school year, according to Mr. Schwartz.

"I have noticed no difference since," Mr. Schwartz said. "He said basically that I shouldn't live by a college if I didn't want that. He was polite about it, but he was definitely dismissive."

The property owner refused to comment.

According to the Lucas County Auditor's records, Mr. McKee bought the single-family two-story house for $110,000 on June 30, 2016. That was the year Mr. McKee graduated from UT with a bachelor of engineering degree, according to his LinkedIn profile.

First Published September 17, 2021, 9:00am