Response to Leslie Sorrell’s letter concerning dilapidated houses
I certainly feel your pain concerning dilapidated housing situations.
We live in the city, as apparently you do. However, my husband owns property in the county, District 2 to be exact. We have been trying to get something done about a dilapidated house directly across the street from his house which he now rents.
The owner is an LLC out of town. However, that doesn’t eliminate them from being responsible for property in their name. We began May 2019 with a certified, return receipt requested letter to the owners. They signed for the letter about four days letter, and this notice was returned to us. When we had first contacted the owner, we sent a copy of this letter to the Board of Supervisors of Lowndes County. Another letter was sent in June, again with a copy going to the board. After this we just decided to deal with the local board itself. A lot of good that did!
We won’t call a name, but the supervisor did finally call my husband and talk with him. After another letter, he agreed to meet with him and someone else from the county to look at the situation. They assured my husband that they would be taking care of this eyesore. Merry Christmas! Nothing has been done. Well, let me correct that. Thanks to Mother Nature, the weeds are dying down, but that doesn’t excuse the horrible condition of the house. Siding is falling off, and there is a hole in the roof. There was a tarp on it several years ago, but hey, nothing lasts forever. It has disintegrated! The front door stands ajar. Someone who actually ventured inside the house said there is mold everywhere.
In my first letter to the owner, I suggested if they didn’t want to spend the money on repairs (and that would be extensive), possibly they could contact the fire department and they could use it as a training site. Just a thought.
As property owners (who actually pay their taxes and keep up their property) we should have some rights. After awhile you begin to wonder. We would appreciate hearing any suggestions that would help us cope with this situation. We hate it for our renter who has to look at it every day!
Sarah Studdard
Columbus
The Dispatch Editorial Board is made up of publisher Peter Imes, columnist Slim Smith, managing editor Zack Plair and senior newsroom staff.
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