Clean it up or tear it down, Canfield homeowner told

Photo

Brian Spin

Photo

Betsy Spin

Making the filthy home habitable may cost more than the property is worth, a health board member said.

By Elise Franco

AUSTINTOWN — The Mahoning County Board of Health has told the owner of a Brookpark Drive, Canfield, home to make it livable or tear it down.

At a special meeting Monday, the board voted on the abatement order for 535 Brookpark Drive, which is owned by John and Georgia Holowach, said Mary Helen Smith, director of environmental health.

No one representing the family attended the meeting.

The Holowachs’ daughter, Betsy Spin, 32, and her husband Brian Spin, 38, lived in the home. They were ordered to leave it Oct. 22 after Canfield city police and the Mahoning County Dog Warden removed two children, ages 2 and 7, and 10 animals from the home.

Detective Brian McGivern said the house was filled with garbage, mold, and animal and human waste. The residence was described by authorities as deplorable and uninhabitable. The animals were later euthanized due to their poor health.

The couple pleaded innocent Oct. 27 to two counts of child endangering and nine counts of animal cruelty.

Smith said the health board’s order, which is expected to be served today, says the Holowachs must either immediately begin taking steps toward fixing the home or decide to demolish it.

“The expectation is they engage in getting contractors and prices to remediate the house,” she said. “The order states what they have to do ... They basically have to make the home livable.”

Board member Leonard Perry said it’s possible the renovation work will cost as much or more than the home is actually worth.

“When that wood gets saturated with urine and feces like that, there’s no getting it out,” he said. “You have to remove it all.”

The total market value of the property is listed as $344,600 on the Mahoning County Auditor’s Web site.

Smith said the order states the homeowners must hire professional contractors due to the extreme condition of the home. She said for the house to pass inspection, plumbing and leaks must be fixed, all mold removed, carpets and porous surfaces torn up and disposed of and all hard surfaces cleaned and disinfected.

Smith said standard abatement orders give the property owner seven, 15 or 30 days to begin work, but this order goes into effect immediately. She said if the board feels work hasn’t begun in a reasonable amount of time, Canfield Prosecutor Nick Modarelli can step in and file charges.

efranco@vindy.com