A St. Louis Hills landlord has been ordered to pay $120,000 after a judge found he assaulted a former tenant and a neighbor, closing the book on a long-running Jamieson Avenue dispute and delivering a rare civil judgment against a neighborhood property owner.
Judge Signs Off On $120,000 Payout
On Friday, Associate Circuit Judge Rochelle Woodiest found 82-year-old landlord Roland Clubb liable and awarded $75,000 to former tenant Paul Beffa and $45,000 to neighbor Carolyn Mueller. The total $120,000 judgment follows a bench trial held in January, according to reporting by St. Louis Magazine. The outlet also noted that Clubb previously pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor assault in November and was given probation.
Bench Trial in City Circuit Court
The case played out in St. Louis City Circuit Court before Judge Woodiest, who is listed among the associate judges on the 22nd Judicial Circuit's committee roster. That detail confirms this was a bench trial instead of a jury verdict, and the ruling resolves the civil claims of both plaintiffs. 22nd Judicial Circuit Court.
Neighbors Say Harassment Escalated
Beffa, who owns Beffa’s Bar & Restaurant downtown, and Mueller jointly sued Clubb after a string of run-ins they say started when Beffa rented a duplex on Jamieson Avenue in June 2023. Their lawsuit claimed Clubb built a low brick wall down the middle of a shared driveway, removed part of an air-conditioning controller during a heat spell and, as Beffa moved out, waved a gun at him, according to earlier court reporting. Mueller also testified that Clubb once accelerated his truck toward her as she crossed Jamieson, forcing her to jump out of the way; Beffa’s lawyers argued the behavior was part of a broader campaign of harassment. Those allegations were detailed in reporting from St. Louis Magazine based on trial filings and testimony.
What Comes Next on Jamieson
Clubb still faces a separate assault charge tied to incidents along the same Jamieson corridor and is due back in court later this month. The civil award, meanwhile, gives Beffa and Mueller a clear legal path to pursue collection or other post-judgment remedies. For neighbors, the ruling delivers a court-tested account of conduct they say upended daily life on that stretch of St. Louis Hills.
