Metro Jacksonville

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This last pic was taken after the pics were taken from the front of the house.
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Was this an occupied property? I hope no one was hurt.

I was told it wasn't

Frustrating.

Now another property that will need to be razed. I hope this doesn't create any negative effect on the work SOS Preservation has been doing to prevent demolition of structures in Springfield.

They are working so hard to make a difference and save historic Springfield.

It was empty, although I was told this evening by a neighbor across the street that he's seen signs of someone staying in it. The house had no power/utilities. It's a loss, the back was fully engulfed  >:(

Quote from: JaxResidentFrustrating.

Now another property that will need to be razed. I hope this doesn't create any negative effect on the work SOS Preservation has been doing to prevent demolition of structures in Springfield.

They are working so hard to make a difference and save historic Springfield.

This will stop our efforts, it's just not having the resources (or neighbors) letting others know that it's been opened and possibly had someone staying in it.

I would guess that if it had no electricity, the fire may have been started by someone making a small fire to cook with or for heat....

A dropped cigarette or forgotten lit cigarette could have started it too.

Most unfortunate to have had this happen.

This is the house, taken by google a few years ago
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=1634+Ionia+Street,+Jacksonville,+FL&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=50.157795,114.169922&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=1634+Ionia+St,+Jacksonville,+Duval,+Florida+32206&ll=30.343204,-81.646485&spn=0.006731,0.013937&z=17&layer=c&cbll=30.343307,-81.646477&panoid=5gfFU42osnW9riY3r7N8pA&cbp=12,275.96,,0,-1.3 (http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=1634+Ionia+Street,+Jacksonville,+FL&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=50.157795,114.169922&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=1634+Ionia+St,+Jacksonville,+Duval,+Florida+32206&ll=30.343204,-81.646485&spn=0.006731,0.013937&z=17&layer=c&cbll=30.343307,-81.646477&panoid=5gfFU42osnW9riY3r7N8pA&cbp=12,275.96,,0,-1.3)

This house is two doors over from 1626 Ionia, where the great folks from SOS preservation and their wonderful team and allies from the city have been working so hard to save from being demo'd. The house right next door to 1626 is also burned out and needs to come down...with most of the fire damage on the backside of the house....

Sigh.
No, this will not impede our efforts. 
Unfortunately there is an arsonist running free on the streets of Springfield. 
This is the 8th fire on this street and neighboring 7th Street in a very short amount of time. 
Sorry, too suspicious.

Springfielder brings up an important point.  Contacting owners, boarding, securing, and monitoring our properties is extremely important.  Communicating that a home has squatters, or is unsecured is important as well. 

We are losing too many homes.  This particular block is in dire straits.  Hence why we worked with the owner of 1626 Ionia to board and secure the property.

This fire is validation of why mothballing is so important to saving our homes.

I am sorry for this home.  I saw a picture of the home when it was in better shape about 8 years ago.  She was beautiful.   :'(

Absolutely.

If a property is boarded and secured, and neighbors notice and know for a fact that squatters are in the property, they need to call JSO. The people entering these properties are trespassing.

I would suspect if you are correct on the number of fires happening, then it could be the work of an arsonist.

Really sad that some person is trying to damage the community, not to mention endangering the lives of others.

I think this one may have been different from the other fires. I checked this house out about a month ago and it was obvious there were squatters living in it. The back of the house was filled with so much clothing, blankets, and crap it was almost to the ceiling, there was also a giant four foot high home made wax candle in the back. I turned it in once, but not again as usually that means they just tear it down :-(

Quote from: JaxResident on October 09, 2010, 10:20:13 PM
Absolutely.

If a property is boarded and secured, and neighbors notice and know for a fact that squatters are in the property, they need to call JSO. The people entering these properties are trespassing.

I would suspect if you are correct on the number of fires happening, then it could be the work of an arsonist.

Really sad that some person is trying to damage the community, not to mention endangering the lives of others.

The property adjacent was set on fire twice and is absolutey missing a roof.  No rafters, completely caved in.  Kimberly Scott stated to me on Friday that is was to come down this week on an emergency demolition. Again the adjacent property to this one. 

This could have been avoided had the property been properly boarded, secured, AND monitored when it was initially vacated.  We need proactivness, not reactivemess.  We need neighbors to be the guardians of our vacant and at risk homes.

I think there's another fire on Ionia going on right now. Looks pretty big, flames and smoke were visible from the 1800 block on Walnut.

Yes.  Unfortunately.  Folks, this is not a coincidence. I understand it to be 1721 Ionia, the same house that was torched at the beginning of the summer.

Hey you know i don't thinking arson probably just homeless trying to keep warm became it was cold last night. tbd last time I read about it out the police said that it wasnt arson just that ionia is still a sketchy part with lots of vacant houses and things like that happen but who knowd

There is an arsonist who has been very busy on Ionia Street.  We all know it.

Just about every house this guy owns has been torched. It's a loss, the back of the house and roof are gone

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Fixed it for you Springfielder...

OCKLAWAHA

I'm sorry to be reading about this especially after being in Springfield yesterday. I would have to agree with arson. That would put a halt to insurance claims.

Who is the owner of all of the homes that have been torched? just curious.

1721 Ionia is owned by a shadowy LLC that was incorporated in Delaware called TARPON IV, LLC.

They list a place of business in the Miami area.  They own 39 properties in Jacksonville.  I think they were all acquired through tax deeds.

Quote from: Jimmy on February 13, 2011, 12:50:09 PM
1721 Ionia is owned by a shadowy LLC that was incorporated in Delaware called TARPON IV, LLC.

They list a place of business in the Miami area.  They own 39 properties in Jacksonville.  I think they were all acquired through tax deeds.

Miami? Yeah, I've got a cousin in Miami that's into international trade and he works from a corner phone booth.

OCKLAWAHA

Ahhh......the same Tarpon that owns School #4 ....look for it to be burned out next... :(

Clarification.
1721 burned a year ago, owned by Tarpon, and was subsequently demolished.  This bungalow was vacant.
1715 burned in June of 2010, owned by an individual who has lost many homes to fire on this corner.  This home was lived in by an elderly renter when it was first burned.  The house was salvagable, with only the back addition needing to be torn down (in my non-professional opinion.) This is the SECOND time someone has torched it.  SECOND time.  This time they destroyed it. 

There have been SO many fires on Ionia that I am crossing all of the addresses.  It is becoming difficult to keep up.

Wow, that's just unreal.  I can't imagine the odds of this being a coincidence.

I smell an criminal organization with all the drama in the crimes behind this stuff.

-Josh

I second that , wholeheartedly Josh..   This particular owner is doing nothing for any of these these properties.    I hate to accuse when I do not have facts ...but this is too much of a coincidence.  Feel free of course to tell me that I am completely wrong.

What I totally do NOT get is why a company would buy all of these tax-sale properties and do nothing with them whatsoever.   and then they systematically burn down one by one.... this is not divine intervention.

Try this on for size...
COJ has placed a lien on all their properties to satisfy, if they can, the assessed fines for code violations on Annie Lytle and probably others, to boot. Liened property burns to the ground. Of course there is insurance, which pays, as long as the cause of the fire is not traced back to the insured. Insured pockets the cash and walks away, gaining more than they would from the resale of the property, minus the lien. Liened property is now owned by COJ. Maybe they can use it for a parking lot.

I have been considering this very situation ,Ralph.  Plus,,,  Tarpon is taking no measures whatsoever to be keeping people out of the building.  Kids still enter it 24/7 ( evidence the latest Folio weekly article. )    I would keep a close eye on all of their properties, and frankly would not be ONE BIT surprised if they are directly behind the destruction of these places....  It certainly would look like the Insurance Companies ( assuming these places ARE insured) would be noticing this.

It stinks and is horribly suspicious........

Definitely stinks.
This house was not Tarpons. But 1721 that burned a year ago was.
Do know that it is very difficult if not impossible to insure a vacant house in Spfld. My bungalow cost $1200/6 mo and they wouldn't do it for more than 12 months.
Tarpon owns a handful on Ionia. None of their properties are cared for. 

It is so strange that they (Tarpon) would buy all these Tax-sale properties and do nothing whatsoever with them,  Not even secure them.  and then some of them mysteriously (evidently by spontaneous combustion)  catch fire ..... riiiiight.

I strongly suggest putting a webcam or three on Ionia Street (webcams can be placed in one of the house opposite of the Tarpon houses), then monitor 24/7. We could have a section on MetroJacksonville called "BISEIGE THE IONIA FIYAH!" where the real-time webcam views are streaming.

I can do the coding for the webcam streaming and set up the section.

-Josh

GREAT IDEA Josh!!  could you do that as well for School #4 ?

I can do all the technical stuff and hook up to the internet, but someone needs to volunteer to give their place, electricity, and internet access to make the webcam possible.

-Josh

hmmmm.......Dog Walker?????????