Youngstown neighborhood revitalization efforts thwarted

Staff report

YOUNGSTOWN

A group of West Side residents hopeful that a house they consider a nuisance would transfer into possession of the Mahoning County Land Bank saw those hopes dashed after a last-minute redemption kept the property in the hands of its current owners.

It’s a scenario that has played out many times before: The county moves to foreclose on a property — oftentimes vacant properties with absent owners, but not always — and the property owner makes a deal to either pay the back taxes or establish a payment plan.

While the system is meant to ensure that individuals have options to negotiate with the county and forestall the loss of their homes in the event they owe back taxes, the system is indiscriminate in the homeowners they protect.

The owners of 345 S. Hazelwood Ave., New York-based Canus Investments, use the home as a rental property. The investment group reached an agreement with the county in September to address its $3,258.45 in delinquent taxes.

The house has sat vacant for more than a year, however, and neighbors want to see something happen with the structure.

Carl Rumbalski, who lives near the home, said that odors coming from the property suggest something got inside the home and died there.

Read the full story Monday in The Vindicator and on Vindy.com.