Checking Out Of The Isabella

The saga of the crime trap motels along Aurora continues, but perhaps we’re in the final act. You may remember that several Wallingford and Green Lake motels along Aurora have distinguished themselves as wretched hives of scum and villainy (see Motel Crackdown, More Trouble at the Italia Motel, Wallingford Inn Madness, Wrong Police Raid, Police Looking for Bank Robber at Marco Polo, but also BBQ at the Marco Polo for the background). When we left our heroes, the city had taken a page from the Dept of Treasury v. Al Capone playbook and charged the motel owners, Dean and Jill Inman, with, of all things, failure to pay utility bills.

We pick up today with the announcement of a plea deal, courtesy of the City of Seattle press release:

Four Aurora Avenue motel corporations entered guilty pleas on Tuesday to criminal tax violations in Seattle Municipal Court. Under terms of the plea agreements, two of the troublesome motels, the Isabella and Italia, will be sold within four months or leased to non-profit groups for use as low-income housing or emergency shelter.

The unusual and creative disposition of the original 180 criminal counts of failure to file tax returns and failure to pay city-owed business tax was the result of a negotiated settlement between the City Attorney’s Office and the defendants, Dean and Jill Inman, and the four motel corporations that the Inmans control as corporate officers. Their motel properties — the Seattle Motor Inn, Fremont Inn, Wallingford Inn, Italia and Isabella motels — consistently account for a majority of calls for police service to the roughly 26 low-cost motels along Aurora Avenue North.

[…] In addition, the Italia & Isabella Corporation agreed to sell or close these two motels within 120 days. If not sold, all residential use must cease unless the motels are leased to a non-profit organization and used for low-income housing or emergency shelter [emphasis added]. The Inmans agreed with the court’s authority to impose the sale or closure condition. […] “Dismissing criminal charges against the Inmans and their corporations wasn’t going to happen,” said Edward McKenna, the assistant city attorney who handled the case. “We were fully prepared to litigate all 180 counts until the Inmans closed the Seattle Motor Inn and then agreed to close the Italia and Isabella motels.”

The Inman motels have drawn many complaints from both police and the community because of criminal activity occurring or emanating from them.

Holmes warned that the more than $100,000 in fines that the court deferred could be revoked and jail imposed on the motels’ owners if they violate conditions of their sentences. “We’re hopeful these cases have a lasting impact and won’t result in further legal action,” he said.

End of an era, people, end of an era.