Occupants of 3 houses cited under housing code

Two of the houses have no running water.

YOUNGSTOWN — If there’s unsightly stuff in your yard — tires, trash and old appliances count — and the dwelling looks like a tear-down dream, the city defines the situation as a public nuisance.

The occupants of 3120 and 3139 Castalia Avenue and 51 Tod Lane found that out Thursday after being visited by a housing code inspector and code enforcement officer. The occupants received citations and will have their cases heard in municipal Judge Robert P. Milich’s housing court.

Aside from documented litter and unsafe structures, the two houses on Castalia have no water service, reports show.

At 3120 Castalia, the water has been off since October 2007. The occupants are Sheryl A. George, 25, and John R. Morris, 27.

They must restore water service or vacate the premises. They must also deal with what the inspectors found: trash, appliances on the front porch and lawn; missing gutters and downspouts; broken or missing windows; and dilapidated front porch steps.

At 3139 Castalia, the water was turned off last month, and the occupants, Darlene M. Figueroa, 52, and Ronald J. Karpinski, 51, must get it turned on or move.

Inspectors found trash on the premises; a collapsing garage; and trash, appliances, tires, garbage, vehicle parts and more on the porch and lawn. The garage roof (covered with a blue tarp) is rotted and the door is broken and hanging in the frame, reports show.

The owner of the two houses, Richard J. Karpinski, 51, of West Warren Avenue, also received a citation based on the condition of the properties.

At 51 Tod Lane, the occupants, Carlos L. Bonilla Jr., 47, and his wife, Lorraine, 51, told the inspectors that the property belongs to family members who live in Arizona. The inspectors’ report shows they found chipped, peeling and flaking paint; rotted front porch ceiling; missing gutters and downspouts; collapsing garage with roof caved in; and a rotted, slanted front porch floor.