Hearing Authority

LAFAYETTE HEARING AUTHORITY March 26, 2013 The Lafayette Hearing Authority met on Tuesday, March 26, 2013 at 9:30 a.m. in the City Council Chambers of Lafayette City Hall. Present were: Gary Henriott, Cindy Murray and Ron Shriner Ed Chosnek, City Attorney, was also present. Mr. Shriner called the meeting to order. MINUTES Mr. Henriott moved for approval of the November 27, 2012 minutes. Mrs. Murray seconded. Mr. Henriott stated there is a scrivener’s error: “Mr. Henriott called the meeting to order” should be changed to “Mr. Shriner”. Motion Carried. OLD BUSINESS Order to Comply and Notice to Appear at Demolition Hearing-710 S. 22nd Street Scott Dieterle, Engineering Office, stated that the owner, Michael Vauters, fixed the structure himself that included fixing the leaning problem and shoring it up. Mr. Vauters will continue with vinyl siding and shingles in the spring. Mr. Dieterle stated that Mr. Vauters asked for additional time to complete the work until mid-spring. Mr. Dieterle stated the Mr. Vauters would have the structure all shingled and sided by mid-May. Mr. Shriner stated that this item will be continued. Updates 2401 Schuyler Avenue/aka 2401 N. 24th Street-the structure has been demolished, the lot is flat and currently for sale. 633 Oregon Street- is to be demolished next. 613 S. 15th Street- will be demolished after the demolition of 633 Oregon Street. 1329 Central Street- owned by Vinnie Gupta who lives in Florida. Work was being done on the property with no permit from the Engineering Office so Mr. Dieterle stopped all work being done and contacted the owner. The contractor spoke with Mr. Dieterle regarding the appropriate steps to take to obtain a permit. Mr. Dieterle stated that after the conversation he had with the contractor, he never came in to obtain a permit. The owner was under the impression that the work was being done by the contractor which in fact that was not the case which caused Mr. Gupta to receive an Order for Demolition. Mr. Dieterle met onsite with a new contractor and went through the whole house inside and out. Mr. Gupta has hired KJG Architecture to do the inspection on what needs to be fixed and up to city code. The structure is currently under an Order of Demolition. Devon Plaza- the structure caught fire and is completely burnt. There was a design professional hired several months ago and are close to releasing applications to the State of Indiana and the City of Lafayette for a permit. The intent is they rebuild the structure. 1205 Kossuth Street- the rehabilitation is going great and the project will most likely be completed in a few weeks. Bruce Carpenter is doing most of the work on his own and is currently waiting for the electrician to finish the electrical work. Mr. Carpenter is looking at tearing down the garage in the back to accommodate more off street parking. 3106 Kossuth Street- stated that this property will be on the Hearing Authority agenda in May. NEW BUSINESS Order to Comply and Notice to Appear at Demolition Hearing-2205 N. 18th Street Mr. Dieterle stated that the garage has been a problem for several years. The garage had people living in it and acting as a house. The garage caught on fire and since then nothing has been done with the structure. Mr. Dieterle stated that he has tried to contact the owners, Pio & Danielle Avolos with no success. The structure has been deteriorating for years. The roof has a tarp on it, the soffit is missing, the exterior wood is broken in areas and gapping. Mr. Chosnek stated that his office has sent certified letters to various forwarding addresses. Mr. Chosnek stated that with further research, the property owner deeded the property back to the bank on a foreclosure. Mr. Dieterle recommended affirming the order for demolition. Mr. Henriott moved to affirm the order for demolition. Mrs. Murray seconded. Motion Carried. Order to Comply and Notice to Appear at Demolition Hearing-2406 Iroquois Trail Mr. Dieterle stated that the overall structure of the house is not an issue however, the wall with the meter attached is bowing out, the guttering and fascia missing, exterior trim is starting to rot. The house has been exposed to the weather for over two years with the possibility of damage to the interior as a result. The house has been abandoned for years and is used to storage. Mr. Dieterle stated that he has been in contact with Bill Chadwell, son of the property owner William Chadwell. Bill Chadwell told Mr. Dieterle that he would like to do the work in order to save the structure but never came to the Engineering Office to apply for a permit. Mr. Chosnek stated that he spoke to an attorney for Mr. Chadwell who stated that he has no money to demolish or fix up the property. Mr. Chosnek stated that there was a discussion regarding the property to be given to the City of Lafayette because there is a potential for another agency like Habitat for Humanity to take on the rehabilitation. Mr. Chosnek suggested the Board order the demolition and the legal department will work with the property owners attorney to see if there is a way for the city to acquire the property or be a conduit to rehabilitate the property if not, ultimately it could be demolished. Mrs. Murray moved to affirm the order for demolition. Mr. Henriott seconded. Motion Carried. Order to Comply and Notice to Appear at Demolition Hearing-2725 S. 9th Street Mr. Dieterle stated that he has been working with the property owner, Joseph Wilbur for some time now. Mr. Dieterle stated that Mr. Wilbur did clean up the back of the property in a reasonable time but there are still major issues with the structure that need to be addressed and fixed. The roof has deteriorated to the point of collapse in the rear of the house along with the soffit and fascia starting to rot. The interior of the house is a hoarder type situation with several windows broken, mold and mildew throughout along with the drywall on ceiling has collapsed in several locations. Mr. Dieterle stated the Mr. Wilbur applied for a permit on June 15, 2011 to change the roof pitch and electrical upgrades but no work was ever done and the permit expired on June 14, 2012. Mr. Dieterle recommended affirming the order for demolition. Mr. Dieterle stated that this property can be fixed up but will need to do so in a reasonable amount of time. Keith Fafarman, Council for Joe Wilbur, questioned Mr. Dieterle regarding whether the repairs for the property are economically feasible. Audio Inaudible. Questions directed towards Mr. Dieterle continued regarding the shed in the back of the house. Mr. Fafarman asked questions directed towards Mr. Wilbur regarding the property, the property’s current condition and what items need fixed. Mr. Wilbur stated that the repairs have not been done due to lack of monetary funds in the past. Mr. Wilbur stated that he is willing to buy the materials needed to make the repairs and do the work himself. Mr. Wilbur stated that he would need three to four months to get the roof repaired and three additional months for the repairs inside the house. Mr. Chosnek proceeded to asked Mr. Wilbur questions regarding ownership and living in the house. The house has been vacant for nearly 10 years with no utilities on. Mr. Wilbur was notified by the city in March 2011 stating that repairs needed to be made to the house. Mr. Wilbur stated that he has spent $500-600 on repairs since the letter in March 2011. In March of 2012 Mr. Wilbur received a letter from the city seeking a notice for repairs/demolition. Mr. Wilbur received a notice for demolition in February 2013 from the city as well. Mr. Wilbur stated that he has not done any repairs to the house since he received the letter in February 2013. Mr. Wilbur stated that he wanted to fix the house so he or his niece could move into it. Mr. Shriner stated that it’s the desire of the city to see properties be maintained and improved. Matt Trainor, Council representing Nations Credit Financial Services, stated that his primary concern is to make sure that this order for demolition are not orders against the mortgage company. Mr. Chosnek stated that the statue requires the city to give notice to any party that has a financial interest in the property but the obligation is on the property itself. Mr. Trainor asked the Board to give Mr. Wilbur 60 days to investigate this issue and find out if there is anything that they can do to protect their interest in the property. Mr. Henriott moved to affirm the order for demolition. Mrs. Murray seconded. Motion Carried. UNSAFE STRUCTURES REPORT March 26, 2013 2205 N 18th St P Property owner: Pio & Danielle Avolos Initial contact: July 12, 2012 GARAGE Fascia and soffit missing thru-out Exterior wood exposed to the weather and starting to deteriorate Exterior wood broken in areas or gapping making interior non-weather tight Garage entrance door open making garage unsecure Garage steps shaky and unsafe Last contact: No contact since original letter Taxes Current: Yes , City liens- $460.05 Recommendation: Demolition 2406 Iroquois Trl Property owner: William Chadwell/ Bill Chadwell Initial contact: March 2, 2012 HOUSE AND SHED Shingles starting to deteriorate Soffit and fascia starting to deteriorate or missing exposing attic area Exterior trim starting to rot Exterior wall in back of house bulging out Door for storage room in back of house open and missing door knob Service wire for meter pulled away from house and is a safety concern Metal shed in backyard is rusted to the point of collapse Trash and debris thru-out yard Last contact: September 20, 2012 Taxes Current: Yes Recommendation: Demolition 2725 S 9th St C Property owner: Joseph Wilbur Initial contact: March 21, 2011 Mr. Wilbur did demo a portion of back of house. Mr. Wilbur then applied and received a building permit to change roof pitch and upgrade electric on 6/15/2011. No work was ever done and permit expired on 6/14/2012. 2nd contact letter: March 21, 2012 HOUSE AND GARAGE Roof has deteriorated to the point of collapse in rear of house Soffit and fascia starting to rot Gutters falling off back of house Exterior trim starting to rot Several windows are broken Drywall on ceiling in house has collapsed in several locations Mold and mildew thru-out house Standing water in back part of house Structure of house in question due to period of time exposed to weather Shed in back of house deteriorating and full of thrash Wooden fence in back of house has collapsed Last contact: June 14, 2012 Taxes Current: No- $1017.16 Recommendation: Demolition Time: 10:15 a.m. Ron Shriner s/s Ron Shriner Minutes prepared by Mindy Miller, 1st Deputy Clerk A digital audio recording of this meeting is available in the Lafayette City Clerk’s Office.