When Bill Sulzman, 82, noticed people circling his small cottage carrying tape measures, cameras and clipboards last summer and fall, he knew something was up.
He didnât know then, but heâs since found out, that his home for 32 years, for which he pays nominal rent, was sold in October without his knowledge.
That sale and others are part of a plan to liquidate many of Ithaka Land Trustâs roughly two dozen rental properties. Most were built 100 or more years ago and were acquired through donations and purchases financed by nuns and the city.
Over the years, though, Ithakaâs maintenance bills grew while rents barely budged. With limited operating funds, the nonprofit has cooked up a plan to monetize the mostly Westside properties so it can fix up some of its rentals and build a low-income housing project southeast of downtown.