Huntingburg orders demolition of unsafe home; hears update on dilapidated gas station

The Huntingburg Board of Public Works and Safety unanimously affirmed a demolition order for a deteriorating property at 422 N. Jackson St. during a hearing this week, giving owner Larry P. Graves 60 days to tear down the unsafe structure.

The city’s Code Enforcement officer issued the original order to demolish on Aug. 18 after the two-story house failed to meet building code requirements despite previous attempts to work with the property owner.

Paul Lake, the Planning Director for the city, who oversees code enforcement, testified that the structure violates multiple safety codes and poses a risk to public safety. The property sits on what he described as essentially a zero lot line with less than five feet separating it from neighboring structures.

“Foundation, roof, exterior walls, doors and windows are not airtight,” Lake said, describing the seven violations cited in the demolition order. “There’s a fairly significant hole through the roof of the structure on the south facing roof slope.”

The rear door is missing entirely, with only a piece of plywood covering part of the opening. The roof on a utility room at the back of the house has collapsed and is falling into the structure, while windows throughout the property are cracked or missing.

“It’s not airtight, watertight or people tight,” Lake said. “I believe the police department has responded to people being in the property.”

Lake testified that he had worked with Graves in the past to resolve code violations, including providing a detailed punch list of required repairs the previous summer. However, the property owner has not responded to any correspondence regarding the building violations or other maintenance issues, such as grass cutting.

The city served Graves with the demolition order through both certified mail and first-class mail to his address at 1415 Dewey St. in Jasper, Indiana. Although the certified mail receipt has not been returned, the first-class mail was also not returned, indicating that Graves likely received the notice.

City Attorney Phil Schneider stated that Graves has previously visited his office on two occasions to pay fines issued to the same address, indicating that the mailing address is accurate.

City officials presented photographic evidence of the violations, including images of the hole in the roof, the missing rear door, the collapsed utility room roof, and windows lacking glass. The photographs were attached to the original notice of violation sent to Graves in July.

The property is scheduled to appear on the county’s tax sale list in September. Lake received a call from the county auditor’s office inquiring about estimated demolition costs and the timeline following the issuance of the unsafe building notice, which indicated that the property would be flagged with an active order.

If Graves fails to demolish the structure within the 60-day timeframe, the city will contract for the demolition work. The cost will then become a lien against the property and be assessed as a special assessment, collected in the same manner as property taxes.

Lake estimated the demolition will be more expensive and challenging than the city’s most recent similar project at 410 N. Washington St., which cost between $12,000 and $13,000.

“This will be a more difficult [demolition]. First of all it’s burned already. And it’s also its proximity to the other homes,” Mayor Neil Elkins pointed out.

Lake added that there is less than five feet of clearance between this home and the neighboring home.

The entire process, from the board’s affirmation through potential city-contracted demolition, could take four to five months to complete.

Indiana law requires the Board of Public Works and Safety to hold a hearing on demolition orders to either affirm, modify or reject them. Graves did not appear at the hearing, nor did any representative speak on his behalf.

The board’s unanimous vote affirms the Aug. 18 demolition order, requiring substantial progress on demolition to begin within 30 days and completion within 60 days of the board’s action.

The board also heard that the owners of the former Dairyland gas station, located at 802 N. Main Street, are moving forward with the demolition of the buildings.

“(It) was our understanding that they have entered into a contract with a contractor out of Evansville to do a demolition of the structure,” Lake told the board.

He stated that based on the property owner’s timeline, the demolition should be completed by the middle or end of October.