Public records shed light on Bob Bashara's past and business dealings

GROSSE POINTE PARK, Mich. (WXYZ) - Bob Bashara owns a handful of rental properties in Grosse Pointe Park.

The 7 Action News Investigators have learned that on more than one occasion the city inspectors had to call police for backup because Bashara became what was described as the aggressive during city inspections.

We have also learned that he has been charged a number of times with the misdemeanors involving the properties.

Bob Bashara is known in the Pointes as a respected community leader, active in the schools and the former head of the rotary club.

But when it comes to his rental properties, Bashara has a less than stellar reputation.

The 7 Action News Investigators have poured through public records in Grosse Pointe Park and discovered that he is a frequent flier in the court system.

Since 2004, the city has hauled him into court ten times for misdemeanor charges on half a dozen or so of his rental properties. Most of the tickets are for renting apartments to people without having them inspected or getting a certificate of the occupancy required by law.

He’s also had a lot of trouble with tenants -twenty-one civil suits going back to 2004, most involving Bashara suing tenants for back rent or evicting them.

A number of suits involved tenants suing Bashara for not returning security deposits.

The 7 Action News Investigators have learned that Bashara was also in the process of buying a large home on Kensington in Grosse Pointe Park.

Many in the Pointes wonder why Bashara made an offer to buy the home when he has another fine home just blocks away where he lives with his wife.

The 7 Action News Investigators have learned that Grosse Pointe Park police have subpoenaed the records on the pending real estate deal.

 We also came across an interesting civil suit.  Bashara was working on the class reunion, the class of 1976, for Grosse Pointe North High School. He was sued by the reunion committee.

They said that he was in charge of $3,000 that was unaccounted for. They accused him of commingling funds. They wanted him to pay about $3,000.

He claimed he had given the money back to the high school. They said that they never got it and according to the court records, that suit ended up being settled, paying $600.