The city has been asked to step in ensure that the property at 9 Grant Dr. is either cleaned up or demolished. The owner has abandoned the home.
Now, some 40 years later, the mobile home, situated at 9 Grant Dr., is in such a state of disrepair that the city has been asked to step in.
“I bought that in March 1973. It was brand new at the time and it didn’t look anything like this,” said MacDougall, as he looked at photos of the property.
Council unanimously passed a resolution Tuesday night authorizing the city’s building inspector to carry out any work related to securing the mobile home, including condemning or demolishing the building, if necessary.
But, the consensus of council was that the city should not pick up the bill if it is deemed that the home has to be demolished.
In August, at the request of Kelly Hughes, environmental health officer with the Department of Health and Wellness, city building officer Mike Straw conducted a joint inspection of the home, located in Vivian Lee Park.
The owner was a client of the department’s adult protection program and the caseworker advised environmental health of the state of the home and its interior after visiting it to fetch items for the owner, who was then in hospital.
The homeowner has since been moved to a local villa and will not be returning.
The home was found to be in a state of disrepair, with a large amount of garbage and debris both inside and out.
The inspector found the door unlocked but, once he stepped inside, refused to go further due to the conditions. Outside, skirting was removed in areas, allowing vermin and other animals to possibly go underneath.
Also outside was a refrigerator that could no longer fit inside.
At that time, a ‘dangerous or hazardous building’ notice was placed on the property and, later, power and water supplies disconnected.
A registered letter was sent to the home’s owner, but later returned unclaimed.
On Aug. 25, a letter was received from Hughes supporting the actions taken by Straw, deeming the home a health hazard to anyone living in it, noting it was not financially feasible to attempt to clean and repair the abandoned home.
The home sits on a rental lot, complicating the issue. And, it was noted at Tuesday’s meeting, the homeowner is not capable to pay for its demolition.
Also, there is no way to recoup costs associated in demolishing the home since, once the unit is demolished, there is no property to place a lien on.
MacDougall said owner of the mobile home park could only have it demolished once the city gave authority to its building inspector to take action.
Aaron MacDonald, the city’s technical services director, said, in the past, the city has taken on the task of tearing down such properties and has been left with the task of recouping the costs.
“It has to be torn down,” said MacDonald. “More importantly, all of the stuff has to be taken out of it.”
The cost to demolish the building would be about $5,000 to $6,000.
The home is within Coun. Greg Campbell’s ward.
Campbell had been in contact with the mobile home park owner, adding he’s sure he would look after the expense of tearing the derelict home down.
“He just wants to move on and have it cleaned up,” he added. “It is a terrible mess.”
