Demolition Order In Effect For Dilapidated Warsaw Property, Buyer Expresses Interest In Home
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Jennifer Peryam-jperyam@timesuniononline.com
A demolition order for a property that has been named unsafe by the city is in effect pending a potential buyer’s plans to purchase the property and make improvements to bring it up to city code. The city has had two previous hearings on the property in June and July where there has been issues of a tarp on the roof to prevent water from getting into the home, insulation falling from the home’s living room collapsed ceilings and water-damaged floors. Donna Shaffer and her husband, Mark, were advised at the July 15 hearing to post a $3,500 cash performance bond for the home Donna owns at 1405 Ranch Road. During the July hearing, a demolition order was postponed until Aug. 12 with the condition that the Shaffers post the bond. The Shaffers did not post the bond and a demolition order was made Aug. 1. The city and Hearing Officer Lawrence Clifford mailed the Shaffers an order of demolition Aug. 1. The home has been vacant since 2007, and the Shaffers now live in Fort Wayne. During Monday’s hearing, Ken Locke, representing Gene O’Hara, a local certified public accountant, said O’Hara has expressed interest in purchasing the property, fixing it up and reselling it. Locke and O’Hara live in the same neighborhood as the Ranch Road property. Locke said O’Hara is aware of the order of demolition, and Friday filed an offer to purchase the real estate and is awaiting approval of the title search. Locke said O’Hara’s intent is to purchase the property contingent on seeing how many liens there are against the property. “His intent is to rehabilitate the property and get it back to a liveable condition to sell for someone to use,” Locke said. The timetable to fix the property will begin once there is closure on the sale of the property, Locke said. Mark said the cost for the purchase agreement is $10,000. Mike Valentine, city attorney, expressed concern with selling a dilapidated property. “How does this change anything? We just have another promise that somehow out of the air we’re going to fix this thing. We could turn around and sell it to the next guy who says I’m going to fix it,” Valentine said. Todd Slabaugh, building commissioner, said he wants to see the purchase agreement in writing. “The city would rather see it fixed than have it demolished because the city will have to pay to have it demolished,” Slabaugh said. Slabaugh said if the property is not purchased, it will be demolished. Clifford reset the hearing for Sept. 16 at 1:30 p.m. at city hall when he will review Ohara’s plans to make improvements to the home and determine if the home will need to be demolished. Clifford said he saw no reason to change his prior order for demolition as of Aug. 1. Clifford said occupancy to the home is still prohibited until the property passes inspection. “I don’t want this to sit a minute longer than it has sat already,” Clifford said. Clifford said if O’Hara is no longer interested in purchasing the property due to liens, he should advise the city of his intentions not to purchase the property. During the July hearing, Clifford ordered the Shaffers to pay a $3,500 cash performance bond that they did not pay. He said there will be a cash performance bond that O’Hara will be required to pay if he decides to purchase the property. “The city doesn’t want this to go from pillar to post all the rest of the days. There has to be some resolution of this,” Clifford said. “Frankly, as far as I’m concerned, the demolition order remains in effect and we will see on the September date if there is any change to that.”
