Neighbor Ellen Miller said she put up security cameras to document activity, and the police were active in dealing with the problems.
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That issue was resolved, but in June, Miller told city council that neighbors are dealing with another nuisance property that has become a health hazard.
She said the 2-bedroom house at 3006 Kington, built in 1924, has been abandoned for several months and she’s concerned about the conditions.
“There were squatters who lived there all winter,” Miller alleged to council. “When they left they had no garbage service, so they threw their trash in the basement of this house.”
Miller said the basement has potentially 40 to 60 bags of garbage in it, which she fears is a public health hazard.
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Recently, Miller said she encountered a broker in charge of selling the house and discussed the conditions.
“I saw the broker there once,” Miller said. “I stood in front of the house at the stoop and she had the door open, and the smell hit me in the face — it was so ungodly, it stunk so bad.”
Miller said the problem has been going on since March.
“I fear that my property is not worth anything. When they open that place up, all that smell and the vermin and insects will be coming out. There is a chance of disease spreading from this house,” Miller said.
Marianna Grafel is the broker for the property, and she said Thursday that the property has now been sold at auction.
Records from the county auditor’s office show that the property was sold by land contract in 2004 from Patricia Manak to Erleen Molder for $81,000. Molder died in May of 2018.
A representative from the treasurer’s office said that it is not uncommon for properties like this one to to be tied up in probate court for two years and said, so far, there has been no paperwork created to indicate a change of ownership.
The treasurer’s office representative said residents can issue a formal complaint with council and, if the city decides it needs to perform any upkeep to the property, it can bill the auditor’s office for the services performed. Then, the amount would be added to the taxes assessed to the property and forwarded to the treasurer’s office for collection.
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