STEUBENVILLE — Jefferson County Common Pleas Judge Joseph Bruzzese made it clear Thursday his patience is wearing thin with the owners of Steubenville’s Heritage Place, telling their new on-site property manager, “You’re going to have to do better than that.”

Heritage Place, the affordable living complex in downtown Steubenville beset by a string of mechanical failures and service cutoffs due to unpaid bills, is being sued by tenants over unlivable conditions. Some residents were left without heat for weeks and eventually were issued space heaters after an outdated boiler malfunctioned in the dead of winter and a replacement part had to be built for it and then shipped to Steubenville. Last week, some of those same tenants were left without hot water due to a failed water tank. Crews were called in to fix the problem only to have it fail several more times before they realized the motherboard must be replaced and a replacement part “overnighted” in.

Gas as well as electrical service in the parking lot and hallways were cut for several days because the bills weren’t paid. Residents said in the past, their water and trash services also were suspended for the same reason.

“I’m done with things breaking because you have junk in the building,” Bruzzese warned Kelly Zadansky, now managing the property for MMS Group. “It might be time to replace the junk — this has happened too many times.”

The two sides were in court to hear arguments on Legal Aid of Southeast and Central Ohio’s motion to put the property in the hands of a receiver, but that proceeding was delayed after Kristopher Haught, the attorney representing the owners, said he needed time to subpoena witnesses. Haught also argued that before proceeding, notice of the motion needs to be served on additional parties — chiefly, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and lender Greystone Servicing Co., since the building is collateral for the loan Green National’s owners took out for the property in 2022.

Heritage Place’s titled owner is WG Heritage Place Ohio, which is wholly owned by Green National.

Until the case is resolved, Bruzzese granted Legal Aid of Southeast and Central Ohio’s request for copies of all utility and repairs bills as well as proof that they’d actually been paid, telling Zadansky and Haught he wants the billing and actual payment days memorialized “the minute they’re received or paid” — though rather than submit the documentation to the court, he directed them to forward it to Legal Aid’s attorneys, Pam Bolton, Kristen Lewis or Alex Vance.

“Tell whoever you have to tell, stuff is going to start happening,” Bruzzese told an emotional Zadansky, pausing several times to reassure her that his anger is directed at the complex’s ownership team and not specifically at her.

Zadansky broke down in tears, saying she’s one person, “the bottom part of the totem pole. I have no say for that.”

“If your lack of manpower causes a problem, I don’t want these people to suffer because your boss is too cheap to give you the help you need,” Bruzzese replied. “A damage claim is coming — it’s going to be ugly. Do they realize how ugly it’s going to get? Everything they thought they were saving plus a whole bunch more is going to be spent.

“You might want to talk to whoever the controllers are, tell them within the team,” Bruzzese continued. “I’m very annoyed with this. I’m done with things breaking, and then we have to order a part or make a part or and it’s because (they) have old junk stuff in these buildings. It might be time to get a little program ready for replacing the junk.”

Bruzzese continued the receivership hearing until 9 a.m. June 16. The judge said he’ll “await the report on the next thing that breaks.”

“You can’t run a business like this,” he admonished.

Haught said in papers filed with the court earlier in the day that WG Heritage Place/Green National purchased the property three years ago for $3.7 million.