Code Officer Orders Warsaw Couple To Post Bond On Unsafe Property
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
By Jennifer [email protected]
During a hearing Monday at city hall that was continued from June 17, Clifford ordered Donna and her husband Mark Shaffer to pay the bond to the city by August 12 for the home at 1405 Ranch Road that Donna owns. The home has been vacant since 2007, and the Shaffers live in Fort Wayne.
During the June hearing, Clifford gave the Shaffers 30 days to come up with funding and provide a laid out plan to make repairs to the home.
During Monday’s hearing, a demolition order was postponed until August 12 with the condition that the Shaffers post the bond. The bond allows homeowners to make repairs to the property, but they are required to post the bond to guarantee the job gets done. If the Shaffers do not post the bond to the city a $5,000 civil penalty will be imposed at the August 19 hearing.
Also if the Shaffers do not pay the $3,500 bond by Aug. 12 an order of demolition will be placed on the property.
Clifford ordered the Shaffers have until Sept. 15 to complete roof repairs and until Nov. 15 to complete remaining repairs to the home, including repairing collapsed ceilings, water damaged floors, demolish the carport, make electrical repairs to the home, and mold remediation.
A hearing on the property was reset for Aug. 19 at 1:30 p.m. at city hall.
Before making the order, Clifford and Todd Slabaugh, building commissioner, did an on-site inspection with the couple at the home. Clifford and Slabaugh previously did a site inspection during the June hearing.
Tarps still were visible on the home’s roof, and bags of trash sat out by garbage cans by the home’s deteriorating carport. Although trash was removed from the kitchen floor and counters since the June hearing, insulation had fallen on the living room floor and furniture was piled in the living room.
Slabaugh said the home is in bad shape.
“I’ve been in a number of homes that have been demolished and been on the edge of being demolished and this is worse than the last one we had to demolish in the city,” Slabaugh said.
Slabaugh said cost estimates to demolish the home would be approximately $4,500. He estimated it would cost $35,000 to $40,000 for a contractor to be hired to make repairs to the home.
The Shaffers attended Monday’s hearing and said they have hauled 15 bags of trash from the home since the June hearing. They also have spoken with Combined Community Services, Salvation Army, and Housing Opportunities of Warsaw about assistance.
Mark said they have plans to discuss with Lake City Bank a $20,000 construction loan to assist with repairs.
Candy Little, assistant vice president of the collections department for Lake City Bank, attended Monday’s hearing and said the bank is aware of the demolition order on the property.
She said the Shaffers have made $50 in weekly payments on the mortgage, and still owe $16,000 on the mortgage. Little said she is unaware of any plans at this point to assist the Shaffers with a construction loan.
Mike Alspaugh, 1502 Ranch Road, who lives six houses down from the dilapidated property, is serving in an advisory position to the Shaffers. He is a licensed general contractor in California and has 30 years experience in residential remodeling.
During Monday’s hearing he said he is working with the Shaffers to bring the home into compliance.
He said he estimated it would cost $20,000 in materials without labor costs if he and others he knows in the construction business would make repairs to the home.
Four adjacent property owners attended Monday’s hearing to show their concern for the property. Although they did not speak during Monday’s hearing, two of them expressed concern at the June hearing with the dilapidated home decreasing their property values and wanted the home brought up to code or demolished.
Alspaugh agreed the home needs to be repaired and cleaned up.
“I don’t see how it can be a danger to the neighbors. As far as being unsightly, I agree it brings the neighbor’s property values down because it looks terrible and needs to be cleaned, painted and the carport needs to come down,” Alspaugh said.[[In-content Ad]]
During a hearing Monday at city hall that was continued from June 17, Clifford ordered Donna and her husband Mark Shaffer to pay the bond to the city by August 12 for the home at 1405 Ranch Road that Donna owns. The home has been vacant since 2007, and the Shaffers live in Fort Wayne.
During the June hearing, Clifford gave the Shaffers 30 days to come up with funding and provide a laid out plan to make repairs to the home.
During Monday’s hearing, a demolition order was postponed until August 12 with the condition that the Shaffers post the bond. The bond allows homeowners to make repairs to the property, but they are required to post the bond to guarantee the job gets done. If the Shaffers do not post the bond to the city a $5,000 civil penalty will be imposed at the August 19 hearing.
Also if the Shaffers do not pay the $3,500 bond by Aug. 12 an order of demolition will be placed on the property.
Clifford ordered the Shaffers have until Sept. 15 to complete roof repairs and until Nov. 15 to complete remaining repairs to the home, including repairing collapsed ceilings, water damaged floors, demolish the carport, make electrical repairs to the home, and mold remediation.
A hearing on the property was reset for Aug. 19 at 1:30 p.m. at city hall.
Before making the order, Clifford and Todd Slabaugh, building commissioner, did an on-site inspection with the couple at the home. Clifford and Slabaugh previously did a site inspection during the June hearing.
Tarps still were visible on the home’s roof, and bags of trash sat out by garbage cans by the home’s deteriorating carport. Although trash was removed from the kitchen floor and counters since the June hearing, insulation had fallen on the living room floor and furniture was piled in the living room.
Slabaugh said the home is in bad shape.
“I’ve been in a number of homes that have been demolished and been on the edge of being demolished and this is worse than the last one we had to demolish in the city,” Slabaugh said.
Slabaugh said cost estimates to demolish the home would be approximately $4,500. He estimated it would cost $35,000 to $40,000 for a contractor to be hired to make repairs to the home.
The Shaffers attended Monday’s hearing and said they have hauled 15 bags of trash from the home since the June hearing. They also have spoken with Combined Community Services, Salvation Army, and Housing Opportunities of Warsaw about assistance.
Mark said they have plans to discuss with Lake City Bank a $20,000 construction loan to assist with repairs.
Candy Little, assistant vice president of the collections department for Lake City Bank, attended Monday’s hearing and said the bank is aware of the demolition order on the property.
She said the Shaffers have made $50 in weekly payments on the mortgage, and still owe $16,000 on the mortgage. Little said she is unaware of any plans at this point to assist the Shaffers with a construction loan.
Mike Alspaugh, 1502 Ranch Road, who lives six houses down from the dilapidated property, is serving in an advisory position to the Shaffers. He is a licensed general contractor in California and has 30 years experience in residential remodeling.
During Monday’s hearing he said he is working with the Shaffers to bring the home into compliance.
He said he estimated it would cost $20,000 in materials without labor costs if he and others he knows in the construction business would make repairs to the home.
Four adjacent property owners attended Monday’s hearing to show their concern for the property. Although they did not speak during Monday’s hearing, two of them expressed concern at the June hearing with the dilapidated home decreasing their property values and wanted the home brought up to code or demolished.
Alspaugh agreed the home needs to be repaired and cleaned up.
“I don’t see how it can be a danger to the neighbors. As far as being unsightly, I agree it brings the neighbor’s property values down because it looks terrible and needs to be cleaned, painted and the carport needs to come down,” Alspaugh said.[[In-content Ad]]
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