Patricia Jamison of Van Buren Township said she bought 215 Second Street in the City of Belleville at a Wayne County Tax auction – and later found the house was about to be demolished as uninhabitable.
On Monday, Jamison pleaded with the Belleville City Council to stop the demolition, so she could fix up the house for her handicapped granddaughter to live out her life there with a caregiver.
After an hour-long discussion, the council agreed to give her until noon the next day (Tuesday) to come up with a cash bond of $5,000 to cover demolition if she didn’t live up to other parts of an agreement that involved a report from a professional with credentials on what needed to be done, plus a timeline, all done within 30 days.
[Clerk/Treasurer Lisa Long reported Tuesday afternoon that the cash bond had been posted.]
Also, the council approved roof repairs, noting the building still could be demolished.
Jamison said she purchased the property in October and nothing was filed downtown that said it was slated for demolition.
City Attorney John Day the city was not required to file anything. He explained that the situation goes back two years with many police runs to the address and many neighbor complaints.
There was a question of whether it was fit for human habitation and so the police secured a search warrant and found rodent infestation and plastic hung from the ceiling to keep water from coming down. There was no heat.
Day said the city went to court in the spring of 2010 to have it ordered unfit for habitation. This year in May they were getting funds to demolish it by the end of June. These funds would not be available as of July 1.
Then Jamison contacted the city and on May 3 there was a meeting and Jamison was given until June 6 to post a bond and get contractors and a proposal. She signed an agreement.
On Monday, June 6, Jamison’s attorney said there have been misunderstandings and miscommuni-cations. She said Jamison has the means to come up with the bond and she wants to bring the house up to code.
Day said at 10 minutes to 5 that afternoon, he got a call from City manager Diana Kollmeyer reporting that there was no bond, no plan, no permits, and no letter of intent.
By the time the city council meeting started at 7:30 p.m., Jamison was there with her attorney to ask for more time and for permission to reroof the house to keep the water from pouring in.
Day said the house has black mold and needs to be rewired and re-plumbed. It has structural problems and “is in horrible shape.”
He said there have been “numerous, numerous complaints from the neighbors.” (A retired city police officer lives right next door.)
Jamison said she could have it brought up to code within six months.
“…You’re coming in at the 12th hour,” Day said. “I wanted to have this done before Memorial Day … You said no, no… so we set it for the 6th,” Day said.
“It’s not my call anymore,” Day said. “The city council authorized us to go to court and seek demolition.”
Day said the city has had a problem with kids hanging out in the house and there have been numerous police reports. It’s been a real nuisance he said. He said if they don’t proceed with demolition, it will look like the city isn’t doing its job.
“I came in and spoke to Keith and he told me, ‘I can’t talk to you. You have to talk to my attorney,’” Jamison said, referring to DPS Director Keith Boc. Boc denied saying that. Jamison said she just wanted to know why her house was condemned.
Because there is a court order for demolition, the city attorney and Jamison’s attorney will handle future communications.
City Manager Diana Kollmeyer said if the economy had been better, the house would have been demolished 10 months ago and none of this would have happened.
Mayor Pro Tem Rick Dawson reminded the council of a situation in Detroit where a lady bought the house next door at auction and was slowly fixing it up, when she woke up one morning and found the city had demolished her house.
In other business at Monday’s two-hour meeting, the council:
• Held a public hearing on the 2011/12 budgets for the fiscal year beginning July 1 and then approved the budget on a 3-2 vote. Council members Kim Tindall and Brian Blackburn thought there should be more cuts than were made. Tindall said she thought the police department budget should be cut more than it was. The general fund budget is $1,979.828;
• Approved closing part of High Street from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. on July 4 for Grace Baptist Church’s picnic;
• Approved a “Thunder Over Michigan” parade from Victory Park to Horizon Park on Friday, July 22. The military vehicles and re-enactors will cavalcade to Victory Park at about 6 p.m., stage there, and then parade north on Main Street at about 6:30 p.m. ending up at Horizon Park where they will be on display. A Russian MiG-17 jet fighter and the Canadian Harvard Aircraft Association – WWII Harvard Trainer Formation Team will fly three passes down the parade route while the parade is in progress. Also, a Marine military amphibious unit is expected in the lake. There will be no parking on Main Street during the parade, also, special permission was given for a light tank with tracks covered by new rubber buffers to protect the new street surface;
• Approved vendors on the library lawn and sidewalks for the Belleville Area District Library’s Garden Walk on July 31 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., as well as a waiving of fees for the vendors;
• Removed from the agenda a requested liquor license transfer for Lakeview Tavern, for more information;
• Took no action on a request for a “Spirit of Unity” Prayer Walk down Main Street sponsored by Power Centre Church, since the date requested was Aug. 27, the same as the citywide yard sale. They had asked that Main Street be closed from 8 to 11:30 a.m. They will come back with a different date;
• Approved by resolution the 2011-12 fee schedule which will take effect on July 1. This is the first time all the fees have been put together on one schedule and some have been increased. Tindall asked that the returned check fee be raised to $35 and the inoperable, junked wrecked vehicles be raised to $20 for a 30-day permit. It was also noted senior transportation fees are increased by $1 each leg as of July 1. Fees for massage parlors, tattoo parlors, and precious metal sales are under study. New cemetery fees are also coming; and
• Approved accounts payable of $250,223.19 and no departmental purchases in excess of $500.