Demo board condemns homes

Ruling: 12 houses no longer restorable

Another dozen houses were condemned as public health nuisances that should be torn down.

The Lorain Demolition Board of Appeals on Nov. 16 ruled 12 houses were in such bad shape they are no longer restorable. Houses condemned were: • 1053, 1055 and 1059 W. 12th St.

• 327 W. 13th St. • 216 W. 15th St. • 1503 Reid Ave. • 410, 819, 831 and 930 W. 17th St. • 1734 W. 12th St. • 1218 W. 14th St. On the list, 10 of the houses were in Ward 2, where Councilman Dennis Flores said the task now is to find a way to pay for the knock-downs. The city ruling does not guarantee a home will be demolished within a certain period of time.

One homeowner pleaded for more time and was granted a one-month reprieve to begin repairing 775 W. 13th St.

In the presentation, Housing Inspector Eric Elmi presented findings of inspectors from the

city building and fire departments and the Lorain County General Health District.

He showed 30 photographs of conditions including a porch roof on the verge of collapse, disabled cars with no license plates or expired license plates in the yard, foundation walls in poor condition, broken windows, water leaking through the basement and animal feces inside.

Owner Maribel Gomez said she bought the house in 2012. Lorain County Auditor’s records show the property transferred for $10,000 in early 2013.

She said she bought the house with a lot of sacrifice “and I want to have a chance to fix the house.”

The house had bed bugs, Gomez said, but she did not know it. She said she lost all the possessions in the house because she had to throw them away; she called an exterminator to handle that problem and moved in with a family member.

Gomez said she pulled a permit to fix the porch. However, she had family issues that prevented her from completing the job.

She was about to get a roll-off container to clear

the garbage inside when she received notice about the city action, so she did not want to go inside, Gomez said. She also said she has removed the cars from the property.

The city inspectors agreed the photographs showed the house is in poor condition. Lorain SafetyService Director Dan Given asked if they felt the house should be saved.

“Do you have money to fix it?” said Electrical Inspector David Velez. Gomez said she did not have it that day, but she could get it.

Gomez said she is on a payment plan to pay the property taxes and owns the house free and clear.

Elmi said he believed the cost to repair the home would be more than it is worth.

“It depends on, if you have the money to repair it, things can be repaired,” Velez said. “Correct,” Elmi said. “But if you do not have the money to repair it, then that can be a long process,” Velez said. “And sometimes putting the money in it, if you cannot do it in a reasonable amount of time, you’re not getting anywhere.”

Gomez asked about an amount of time. “If it’s a month, I cannot do it in a month,” she said.

City permits generally

run for six months, the inspectors said, and Gomez said six months would be a better amount of time.

The house will take a large amount of money to repair, Given said.

“You may be getting in over your head,” he said. “It’s going to take a sizable amount of money to bring your house up to living conditions.”

Lorain Fire Assistant Chief Christopher Radman said he would like to see quotes from contractors about what work will be done.

Flores asked if the city could require certified contractors to perform the work, instead of “my uncle the plumber, my brother the roofer.”

However, people are allowed to pull permits and work on their own homes or have family members do so, as long as they have the skills to do so and the work is inspected and meets city codes, Given said.

Gomez needs to bring back a plan to save the house and proof of financing, Given said, although he stated the project may be too large.

The board voted to hold in abeyance their review of 217 W. 15th St. due to title issues pending with the Lorain County Land Reutilization Corp., which is known as the county land bank.