BLIGHT FIGHT
Abandoned properties in Trenton set to be demolished within 90 days
TRENTON >> Thirteen city properties, all of which teeter on the brink of collapse, are scheduled to be demolished within the next 90 days.
Ten of the homes are still owned by people, or organizations, who have abandoned their obligations to the property. City officials have issued numerous violations and summonses to all 10 of the property owners, according to documents obtained by The Trentonian through a public records request. But the property owners either ignore the summonses, or no longer have the financial means to maintain the home.
It will cost city taxpayers approximately $325,000 - $520,000 to demolish the 13 properties.
“We are diligently trying to recoup any money we can, but it’s tough because the owners are literally walking away from these buildings,” Director of Inspections Les Graham said. “Most of the time, the homeowners don’t show up for court. But even when we do track down owners, they’re in foreclosure, receivership, or some type of dire straits; so they’re not held financially responsible.”
Urban blight has been a nagging issue in the capital city for years, and officials say properties in danger of collapse are added to their watch list on a daily basis. Of the 13 properties scheduled to be demolished by the end of November, some were damaged by fire and weather, while others reached the current state due to criminal activity.
For example, a property located at 1267 East State Street was severely damaged when Jahquavius Brown, 19, and Howard Poon, 23, crashed into the building during an alleged drag race. According to the police report, both of them admitted to driving alongside each other in the same direction, but they each claimed the other turned in front of him. Since there were “no independent witnesses on scene to corroborate the accident,” documents state, both of the men were issued summonses for recklessly driving down a one-lane roadway.
The building they crashed into at the corner of East State Street and Cleveland Avenue is owned by a church that is now defunct. So, city officials are trying to recoup costs for demolishing the building from the companies that insured the cars Brown and Poon were driving.
City officials say the majority of blighted homes in Trenton were damaged by weather elements that eroded foundations due to lack of routine maintenance by the homeowner.
“The front and rear of a property becomes unstable very quickly due to lack of gutter maintenance,” Graham said. “Ninety percent of homes in Trenton have a built-in gutter that’s aligned with the front wall. This design allows water infiltration and when the gutter doesn’t receive proper maintenance, water flows down the front of the building and erodes everything. It has the same evolution as a pothole: the water runs down, expands as it freezes and then bursts the bricks apart. These builtin gutters require maintenance on a bi-annual basis, and when that’s not done, it causes rapid deterioration.”
The Trentonian visited all 13 properties. Most of the homes were noticeably unstable from a front view of the property. But there were a few homes that required a tour around the side and rear of the property to realize the full extent of its danger.
Citizens who watched as pictures were snapped expressed relief after hearing the homes were finally coming down. Some of them were eager to share stories about nearby buildings that previously collapsed, while others complained about people using the abandoned properties as dumping grounds. The mere pres-
ence of a reporter showing interest on Daymond Street sparked an argument regarding a pile of trash that one resident claimed had “been there for years.”
Some residents said they were waiting for nearby buildings to be demolished so they could move forward with plans to renovate their own property. A man employed at an auto body shop on Parker Avenue said his boss offered the owner of a partially collapsed building money so he could demolish the property and use the vacant lot to store automobiles. He said the property owner asked for too much money.
“Something needs to be done with that building because when the wind blows hard enough, pieces fall off,” the man who asked to remain anonymous said. “We complained to the lady because it could kill someone. A lot of kids pass through here.”
Officials also plan to demolish the front porch of two homes located at 135 and 137 Walnut Avenue. Officials say lack of funds prevents them from completely tearing down the property, but the front porch and its roof are partially collapsed, which presents a danger to the community.
“I’m really appalled by the fact that no one has done anything about that building,” mayoral runner-up Paul Perez told
The Trentonian after a picture of the Walnut Avenue property was published on the front page of the newspaper twice. “The entire front porch is held up by a 2x4 piece of wood, and the roof is rotting. It’s a safety hazard.”
City officials say they prioritize which buildings to demolish based on its degree of danger to the community and availability of funds. Each demolition costs approximately $25,000 - $40,000 to complete, which includes sidewall and structural repair to any adjoining properties that remain standing.
Officials could not immediately provide an estimate of how much money the city has already spent maintaining abandoned properties, which includes routine duties such as securing the building, cleaning the exterior, cutting weeds and hauling trash. The city imposes a lien on abandoned properties, officials say, but it’s not easy to collect the debt.
“We don’t want to spend money on them if we don’t have to, but the city is tasked with maintenance of the property regardless of whether it’s torn down,” Graham said. “We always attempt to recoup the money, and we do collect on some debts, but not all of them. This part of the job is not easy. It would be much easier to demolish these buildings if the city owned the property.”
After each home is demolished, officials say, a fence will be placed around the empty lot to deter illegal dumping. There are no current plans to rebuild on any of the lots, but officials hope developers will erect homes in those spaces in the near future.
“As funds become available, we’ll be more aggressive in taking down these unsafe properties,” Graham said. “But at this point, it’s on an as-needed basis.”