The city approved an emergency condemnation order on two homes and took legal action to collect fines on a third during the Columbus Board of Works meeting Monday.
The emergency condemnations were ordered for 1311 9th St. and 2689 Pearl St. More than $1,500 in fines and legal fees are to be collected through a civil suit filed in Bartholomew Superior Court II for the property at 879 Fairview Drive after it was not paid for six months.
Emergency condemnations
Code enforcement asked for the emergency condemnation order for 1311 9th St. due to the following issues:
- Public Nuisance: City of Columbus Municipal Code 9.16.010
- Indiana Code 36-7-9-4 Unsafe Building
- City of Columbus Municipal Code 15.20 Unsafe Building
- Chapter 15.24 Minimum Housing Standards
A letter from the Bartholomew County Health Department notes that “the tenant is living in an insanitary condition, with human feces on the floors and walls of the property.” The letter also notes the presence of cockroaches.
The property owner, Laurel Walls, is in agreement regarding the action and has been working with code enforcement, according to city documents. Walls has until March 30 to remedy the issues or the home will be demolished.
The order on 2689 Pearl St. comes after it sustained heavy damage during a fire on Sunday morning.
A witness at the scene told authorities the owners of the home were away during the blaze and firefighters listed the fire’s cause as undetermined. The owner of the property, Emily Cordova, also is in agreement with the action and working with code enforcement on the issue.
City to collect fines through court
Code enforcement requested legal action be taken at 879 Fairview Drive after $1,650 in fines have gone unpaid for six months.
Five requests regarding the condition of the property were sent to the property owner, Shannon Richards, as long ago as December 2018 and as recently as September 2023. The fines were levied during the September letter and payment was required to be made within 30 days.
“Fairview is one that I request to take legal action on, because they’ve not replied, it’s been over a year,” Code Enforcement Officer Fred Barnett said.
The fines are for the following violations:
- Chapter 10.48 – Abandoned, Unlicensed, and Inoperable Vehicles ($1,000)
- Chapter 8.24.270 Nuisances ($100)
- Chapter 8.24.100 Accumulations prohibited ($200)
- Chapter 8.24.105 Outdoor Open Storage Prohibited ($200)
- Chapter 9.16.010 Public Nuisance/Offenses Relating to Property ($150)
Barnett said after they informed Richards she would to be taken to court if necessary, the conditions of the home “got a little bit squared away” at the time, but since then “it’s back even worse than what it was before.”
