1925 Liberty Street: It's Coming Down

[sheclown]

Lisa  & Brenda did speak up for 1925 Liberty Street.


Brenda spoke about attempting to find a new owner and Lisa told the commission that the neighborhood was beginning to get upset about the number of demolitions.

It still was put on the Formal Track to Demolition with a deferment of six months time.  There is good info in here about what they can and cannot do.  Most alarming to me is a reference to "the 200" and it looks to me like a reference to a list of 200 Formal Track for demolition homes, but that is just conjecture.

[uptowngirl]

I am slightly confused. If the house is sound why was it even on this list? If the house is sound, why is someone asking what six months would gain? If a house is sound, but ugly why would it go for demo, and why would the HPC question a wait on the demo of a sound house?

[sheclown]

Original features in tact.
House is nicely boarded up and painted.

[iloveionia]

Uptown.
My summation over these last weeks of research and city visits is that Code Enforcement is tired of houses on their caseload in Springfield.  That their resolve to the "problem" is to request abatement by demolition. 

They don't care that a house has interior or exterior historical features in tact.  They see the house as a problem and demolition as the solution. 

I disagree.
A HOUSE THAT IS BOARDED, SECURED, AND KEPT AN EYE ON, SHOULD BE LEFT ALONE!!!!
Problem is, the city won't board and secure anymore, I understand because of the lack of a budget.  They just need to channel their resources differently.

[uptowngirl]

If they actually started collecting on fines some of these owners would find a way to seel the house.

[iloveionia]

we both know fines are a big fat joke. 
they (they city,) must not be able to put liens on other properties these individuals/businesses/banks own? 
i wonder why no recourse?

[uptowngirl]

The city's lien on the property is not impacting the owner TODAY, if they actually tried to collect the funds and levied a personal judgement the owners would be impacted everytime they tried to get credit, a cell phone, cable, a bank acct, etc... that is REAL motivation to do something.

[sheclown]

It would be better not to lien it at all! 

[iloveionia]

But some derelict owners deserve it. 
Others, working their best, and maintaining there properties should be left alone.

Every property and situation can not be treated the same, but it is. 

I repeat.  Board, secure, monitor.  Simple.

[sheclown]

Liens just hamper the property.  It makes it more difficult to sell, takes money for restoration and puts it in the city's coffers.  You can't make people take care of what they don't wish to take care of -- if you fine the house, you penalize it.  

It is by far better not to penalize a house b/c of an uncaring owner.  Fine and liens lead one place -- demolition.  

[stjr]

With or without liens, the City should at least have the right to seize the property if the owner fails to comply per statute with Code.  Then, they City can auction sale the property to a new owner.  Maybe the new owner should be required to escrow a minimum of adequate stabilization/renovation funds to be released by the City when approved bills are timely submitted.  If not, the City can use the escrow money to complete the renovations and begin the seizure/auction sale process anew, but now with a secured building.

[Springfielder]

This is exactly what I've been advocating for years. Other cities seize and then sell the property, usually for what fines and taxes are owed. This enables others the opportunity to turn it around.

[sheclown]

With or without liens, the City should at least have the right to seize the property if the owner fails to comply per statute with Code.  Then, they City can auction sale the property to a new owner.  Maybe the new owner should be required to escrow a minimum of adequate stabilization/renovation funds to be released by the City when approved bills are timely submitted.  If not, the City can use the escrow money to complete the renovations and begin the seizure/auction sale process anew, but now with a secured building.

The perfect solution.

[sheclown]

This is exactly what I've been advocating for years. Other cities seize and then sell the property, usually for what fines and taxes are owed. This enables others the opportunity to turn it around.

We need to get city council on board for this. 

[Springfielder]

Yes, we do and I'll get busy with that when I get back in town...in the meantime, we all need to be contacting Gaffney's office, as well as Glorious Johnson: council member at large