Dear Detroit,
Have you or someone you know rented from (past or current tenant), considered renting from (prospective tenant, now or in the past), or conducted other business with Jeff Cowin (Greater Midtown Property Management, LLC)?
You are invited to join a collective action for safety, public health, and accountability. It is together that we bust this BAU status quo complicity. In so doing, we show to both ourselves and each other where we stand in character and community. “Until the lion tells the story, the hunter will tell the tale” (African proverb).
Finding yourself hesitant to reach out; shrugging “Not/never my problem” or “I’ve moved on, I don’t care about my past self, or anybody else;” or feeling a bit scared? Check out the growing list of secondary sources that educate and inform this effort and might activate you, too. There is NO such thing as neutrality! To lament or protest the abuse of power by President Trump & Co. while staying silent or static on problems in closer proximity, calls one’s intention and integrity into question.
This initiative, sparked in July 2022, illuminates facts of public records and truths of our lived experiences, compelled in part by the media’s neglect to conduct minimum research and due diligence over 10+ years; governments’ neglect or failure to enforce the laws; and “community” complicity including denial, silence, and selective focus on optics rather than substantive safety and well-being of ALL residents, not just property owners, egregious in a context of compounding housing/economic crises.
Jeffrey Scott Cowin owns or has owned these businesses: Greater Midtown Property Management, LLC (“not good” annual report standing); Beautiful Detroit, LLC (“not good” annual report standing); 866 Virginia Park, LLC (dissolved); 159 Virginia Park, LLC (dissolved); and 140 Virginia Park, LLC (dissolved), per LARA.
In Brush Park, Jeffrey rents out 82 Alfred unlawfully w/o a Certificate of Compliance (CoC) on Vrbo, Expedia, and Trip.com, and he “co-hosted” with Zoe Bowman unlawfully on Airbnb. In Virginia Park, Jeffrey / Greater Midtown Property Management, LLC rents out or leases out various properties on Virginia Park Street: 159 (unlawful w/o CoC, recent blight violation fine, blight violation fine history); 866 (unlawful w/o CoC or registration, recent blight violation fines 1 & 2, blight violation fine history); 874 (unlawful w/o CoC, recent blight violation fine, blight violation fine history); and 888 (recent blight violation fine, blight violation fine history), per BSEED and City of Detroit Office of the Assessor.
Jeffrey is active in the Virginia Park Block Club. Here are two maps (1 and 2) of all current property owners of Virginia Park near Second Ave and Third Ave, as you can see, the Virginia Park blocks where Jeffrey owns and leases out property unlawfully, per the City of Detroit.
His real estate salesperson license as associated with City Living Detroit, LLC, is lapsed since 10/31/2012, per LARA.
In property taxes, interests and fees, Jeffrey owes Wayne County $39,242.20: $26,776.11 for 620 Virginia Park (Record Card); $12,415.66 for 714 Blaine (Record Card); and $50.43 for 893 W Euclid (Record Card), per the Wayne County Treasurer’s Office, 09/02/2025. Why this matters, beyond basic business responsibility: 82 Alfred almost foreclosed in 2022; near-foreclosure is a situation of high precarity and instability which causes tenants undue extreme stress.
In Water and Sewage fees, $15,037.67 is owed for 159 Virginia Park (Record Card) as of 07/11/2025; $8,127.19 is owed for 866 Virginia Park (Record Card) as of 07/11/2025; $1,899.63 is owed for 874 Virginia Park (Record Card) as of 07/11/2025; $1,468.24 is owed for 888 Virginia Park (Record Card) as of 06/25/2025; $5,888.34 is owed for 620 Virginia Park (Record Card) as of 08/05/2025; and $6,304.62 is owed for 82 Alfred (Record Card) as of 06/25/2025 (sum owed to the City of Detroit: $38,725.69), per DWSD. Additionally, $3,698.55 was owed for 2431 Parker when it was owned by Jeffrey Cowin and Zoe Bowman (Record Card), until 03/27/2024. Update: DWSD is conducting an investigation per response to public comment at the Board of Water Commissioners meetings. Why this matters, beyond basic business responsibility: in leases, Greater Midtown Property Management, LLC is obligated to pay utilities including water & sewage with the rent that a tenant pays.
Relatedly, Kimberly Ross Clayson, attorney and board chair of Outlier Media, served as resident agent for Greater Midtown Property Management, LLC, from 07/18/2014 – 11/05/2023, more than five months after a former tenant had informed her of grave concerns and experiences. She served as resident agent for 866 Virginia Park, LLC, 159 Virginia Park, LLC, and 140 Virginia Park, LLC from 07/18/2014 – 02/03/2017, the duration of their existences, per LARA. Clayson represented both Jeffrey and 866 Virginia Park, LLC in a landlord-tenant case, per the 36th District Court Register of Action. Cat Panek who worked as office manager for Greater Midtown Property Management, LLC, from 10/2017 – 01/2019, per her LinkedIn, continued to collude with Jeffrey as of spring 2024.
Yes (roar/sigh) there’s more. Above all: look to hear from you soon. <3 <3
Confidentiality respected.
Text: (313) 489-0561
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EVERY voice of truth matters.
Each word is heard.