TRUMBULL COUNTY Girard to demolish structures

One of the owners said she walked away from her house before she was thrown out.
By TIM YOVICH
VINDICATOR TRUMBULL STAFF
GIRARD -- Mayor James J. Melfi is targeting seven city structures, including six houses, for demolition because they are defective or uninhabitable.
"This is just another way we're trying to step up [housing code] enforcement," Melfi said. He said many more will follow.
The city razes buildings if they become uninhabitable because of health issues or structural problems, or if they are condemned by fire department officials after heavy damage.
The demolition has been handled by the city health department, a practice that has bothered the health commission because the department's expertise is heath-related rather than construction, explained James Dobson, city health commissioner.
Melfi said that the new procedure will take the health department out of demolition because of structural problems.
Besides, Dobson said, his department is out of money for demolition work.
Melfi said he wants structural shortcomings used as the emphasis to raze properties, thus helping to maintain neighborhoods and reduce the housing stock because of a declining population.
Most complaints
The mayor explained that the seven structures are those that are the subject of most citizen complaints.
One of them is 27 Ella St., a frame structure owned by Barbara J. Armstrong of Liberty. Armstrong is a former school teacher, who says she has retired as auditorium manager of Stambaugh Auditorium.
Armstrong said renters have occupied the house for 27 years.
Asked if she's received any complaints from the city, she responded: "I'm not going to say anything until I find out more."
"Truthfully, I have no answer for you right how," she added. Armstrong also owns a vacant house at 29 Ella.
Walked away
Debra Coleman walked away from a house at 109 Ella St.
Coleman, 47, who still lives in Girard, said she and her former boyfriend bought the Ella Street property and lived there for six years.
She explained that when the boyfriend left, he left her name on the deed.
The boyfriend filed for bankruptcy and she paid on the mortgage for three years.
Coleman asserted that the mortgage company wanted $3,000, although she's not certain why, or the company would foreclose.
Coleman said she decided to walk away before she was thrown out.
Dobson said there are about 50 properties in the city that are vacant because their owners turned their backs on them.
The seven structures have been inspected by David Hall, city engineer, and Thomas Bode, the city's part-time chief building official.
Hall said all the structures have been judged to be uninhabitable and are unoccupied.
Problems
Some of the problems are open roofs, buckling floors and falling plaster.
Hall explained that property owners will be sent notices this week informing them that they have 30 days to make repairs or raze the structures themselves. If they don't, the city will raze them and the owners will get the bills.
The owners can request a hearing to appeal the city's decision. Any decision can then be appealed in municipal court, Hall added.
yovich@vindy.com