Houses from Hell: House demolition a long, lengthy process
Originally published 09:56 p.m., May 9, 2007
Updated 09:55 p.m., May 13, 2007
Demolition is often a last resort because it can cost thousands of dollars and taxpayers are often are stuck with the bill.
Once an inspector determines a house needs to be knocked down, there is a hearing scheduled. Then the owner must be contacted.
Once the hearing proceeds, the owner can ask for a continuance, again and again.
If the demolition order is granted, the owner can appeal the ruling in District court.
The process includes several notices, inspections and asbestos testing, all to take down one house.
Houses from Hell
See 49's Houses From Hell series on neighborhood blight in Topeka
- Houses From Hell: One owner struggles with city to keep his house standing (May 6, 2007)
- Houses from Hell: House demolition a long, lengthy process (May 9, 2007)
- Houses from Hell: Problems after the demolition (May 13, 2007)
- Houses from Hell: Neighborhoods look into possible solutions (May 16, 2007)
- Buildings from Hell: Abandoned businesses attract crime and lower property values (May 20, 2007)
- Houses from Hell: County DA wants to put the law into action (May 23, 2007)
- Landlords Association offers to help clean up house from hell (November 27, 2007)
- City Council codes hearing (December 3, 2007)
- "Houses from Hell" series spurs action from the DA (December 18, 2007)
- New look for 615 SW Tyler...neat and tidy (December 19, 2007)
- DA applauds Houses from Hell investigation (December 27, 2007)
- Charges filed after Houses from Hell investigation (December 28, 2007)
"Anybody here?"
Code Compliance inspector Don Carey checks to see if anyone is occupying a house located in the 1600 block of Western Avenue. The porch has caved in and has almost completely fallen down.
"How long has this house been vacant. Do you know? I do not know how long it's been vacant," Carey said.
But he does know the taxes haven't been paid in six years and Carey says the owners need to be contacted before any type of action can be taken.
(So, basically your hands are tied?)
"I don't know the status of the owners yet. I have heard they're possibly no longer alive," Carey said.
But some folks all across town have been waiting even longer for any some movement on one house in the 1300 block of Fillmore.
Neighbor Ed Loehmann says this house has been boarded up for several years.
"We mention it to code compliance and they keep telling us that as long as it is boarded up. People can't get in; their hands are tied," Loehmann said.
It's not illegal to have an abandoned house. The owner says vandals and vagrants have destroyed the inside of the home and all the copper plumbing was stolen. The last incident happened less than two weeks ago and he says if he fixes it up, it will only happen again.
"As long as we have that type of building in our neighborhood, that invites crime," Loehmann said.
But there is a formula that must be used to determine if any house is a candidate for demolition.
Say it would cost $100,000 to replace it. If the repairs add up to more than thirty percent, or thirty thousand, it can be torn down and the owner will be billed for the cost.
The house at 1519 SW Tyler has been ordered for demolition. But the process has been in the works since last fall. Carey says it should come down in the next 60 days.
"It's rotten in the interior, the floor is sagging in the middle. It's just a very unsafe house on the inside," Carey said.
Carey says the owner is now trying to stop the demolition.
It's just one of the many legal roadblocks that could shut down what can already be a complicated process in getting a building torn down.
Carey estimates the house is at least one hundred years old.
"It does have some definite violations of the property maintainance code. The biggest issue looks like this front porch collapsed," Carey said. "The back porch is rotted out. The gutters and the downspouts are in very poor condition."
So, are the code violations with this house serious enough to warrant demolishing the home?
(Is this something you would like to see saved or demolished?) "I would like to see it saved," Carey said.
Coming up on Sunday in part three of our series on Houses from Hell, we take a look at why demolition may not always be the best solution to the problem of abandoned houses.
And Thursday night at six, we'll give you a chance to tell us about an abandoned house in your neighborhood.
If you know of a house you've been trying to get the city to do something about you'll be able to call us.
We will have several neighborhood activists taking your calls during 49 News at six.
Watch parts one and three of Liz Zamora's series, Houses from Hell.
Comments
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May. 10, 2007 at 12:52 p.m. (Suggest removal)OZ (anonymous)
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Once again, people won't mind THEIR own business, but, must attack others and THEIR PRIVATE PROPERTY!
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Is it any wonder that the ABUSES of EMINENT DOMAIN are so rampant in this sick community.
There's an ILLNESS and a "belief" in some synthetic power in "thinking" they can tell others what they can and cannot do with THEIR PRIVATE PROPERTY. Land of the "free" and home of the "brave" indeed; it's a JOKE.
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Ah, KKKansas, the STATE of HATE, IS as DUMB as you think.
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Praise CHEESES and TAX ALL CULTS ! ! !
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May. 12, 2007 at 3:58 p.m. (Suggest removal)topcity_785 (anonymous)
all those abandoned buildings are in my hood filmore, western ave, and tyler st. and i've never complained about them and suprised to see a old white man living in the ghetto Lol
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