An abandoned home in the Oxford Woods subdivision that was literally making a next door neighbor sick was recently deemed to be an ‘unsafe structure? by the township.
Legal action to have the vacant home at 1120 Keble Lane demolished will begin within 90 days of Oct. 12 unless the owner, the California-based Nations First Bank, corrects the alleged safety problems which include ‘excessive water damage,? the presence of mold (possibly black mold) and rodent infestation.
‘They’re supposed to get it resolved in 90 days,? said township Building Official Mike Darling.
The California bank took possession of the home through a foreclosure.
It appears the previous owners vacated the property in November 2005, according to an Oct. 11 affidavit filed by Keble Lane neighbor Ann Marie Lindstrom, who had previously lodged two complaints about the abandoned home with the township.
Darling said a bank representative recently told him over the phone they plan to have the house cleaned and are consulting with a mold removal expert.
‘They’ve been very cooperative so far,? he said.
A dumpster currently sits in the driveway and workers have been seen clearing items out of the vacant home.
A written plan of what steps will be taken to make the Keble Lane home safe again must be provided to the township.
‘I just want to know what they’re doing, what their time frame is to get it done,? Darling said.
Once everything’s done, Darling said, ‘I’ve asked for a certification that it is cleaned up.?
Township attorney Hans Rentrop said he spoke with the real estate agent currently handling the property and was informed ‘they are taking action to clean it out.?
Rentrop said he told the agent, ‘As long as that’s happening, we’ll stand down. Just make sure it gets taken care of.?
When asked about plans to clean up 1120 Keble Lane, Ashley Loehr, a representative of Nations First Bank, said she could not comment on anything relating to the home.
‘I can’t talk to you about this,? Loehr said. ‘I’m not saying anything more.?
Still too upset by the whole situation, Lindstrom declined to comment beyond the statements in her affidavit.
In her affidavit, Lindstrom stated the home’s ceiling collapsed because of a leaking pipe, leaving pieces of dry wall, insulation and a half-inch of water on the floor. She saw all this when a Realtor trying to sell the home opened the door and showed her the damage in January.
The water was shut off at a later date to stop the leaking.
In September, an environmental consultant hired by an unspecified bank stated the home was ‘infested with mice? and ‘had one of the worst cases of black mold he had ever seen,? according to Lindstrom’s affidavit.
‘He was not sure the structure on the property could be sufficiently cleaned,? Lindstrom stated.
According to Lindstrom’s affidavit, she had experienced ‘respiratory problems? which she believes ‘are the result of contaminants emanating from the? home when its windows were left open in August by workers who came to salvage anything of value inside.
‘My problems were particularly severe on days when my windows were also open,? she stated.
The respiratory problems Lindstrom experienced between Oct. 7-8 when her windows were left open caused her to leave her home and stay with her parents in Lake Orion. She’s been there ever since.
The township was unable to legally enter the home to investigate Lindstrom’s initial complaints because the home’s previous owner could not be located and therefore couldn’t give permission. At the time, it was not known that the bank had foreclosed on the property.
‘We haven’t been on the premises,? said township Building Official Mike Darling. ‘We don’t have the right to go in anyone’s home without being asked.?
‘If we had gone in, it would have been breaking and entering or at least entering without owner’s permission,? said township Ordinance Enforcement Officer Mike Kawa.
Even though the house was for sale, the previous Realtor offered no help.
‘I had calls into the old Realtor, who just didn’t cooperate, never called me back,? Kawa said.
Unable to get anywhere, the township had Lindstrom file an affidavit upon which the Building Department deemed 1120 Keble Lane to be an unsafe structure and issued a notice of intent to demolish it.
‘I wanted to get (the court’s permission) to be able to go in with an expert to determine whether it was black mold or not, but then we read the building code and this was the method of remedy,? Darling said. ‘It was the advice of the (township) attorney to go this way.?
Darling noted it’s ‘very rare? for the township to issue this type of notice on a property.