By BOB SHRALUKA
WZBD.com
Finding owners of deteriorating homes is often the most difficult part for Decatur officials as they attempt to get the homes cleaned up, repaired, etc.
Curt Witte, superintendent of the city’s building and zoning department, which oversees code enforcement, brought two such cases before the board of works and safety at its latest meeting.
The two are on the same street, Schirmeyer, at 728 and 1027.
Of the home at 728 Schirmeyer, Witte said, “We keep sending abate (cleanup) notices to a company that supposedly owns it, but they keep coming back as undeliverable.
The company is located in Clearwater, Florida.
“We can’t locate anybody who has title to this house,” he added.
The only contact his department has had, Witte said, is with Brandon Scott and Elizabeth Easterday, former tenants.
Witte said the building appears to be structurally sound from the outside, and is weather tight, “but we can’t get inside” for a thorough inspection. It has a new roof.
So, for this one, the search will continue.
Similar problems exist with the home at 1027 Schirmeyer.
“This one is kinda difficult,” Witte said. “We’ve been dealing with it for a while. The owners are dead and the house went back to a (local) bank. The bank is saying they are wiping out everything. It’s a mess.”
Witte said NeighborLink, the Berne-based group of volunteers who will assist people, has provided some help at the home which has been condemned since February 15.
A daughter of the deceased owners has shown some interest in the property and the bank has dropped its foreclosure notice.
“The bank has basically washed their hands of it,” City Attorney Anne Razo said.
After some more discussion, the board moved to have the structure demolished and the bill sent to the bank.
GOOD NEWS: There was some good news. The owner of a home at 1003 Mercer Ave. targeted for a cleanup has followed through and met the department’s demands.