Nick McWilliams reporting – The remnants of a home deemed a total loss on Romig Street in Uhrichsville are cleared away, with the city looking at the next course of action.
The home, which sustained irreparable damage as a result of an evening fire Tuesday, was ordered to be pushed in on itself by Fire Chief Justin Edwards due to the safety risk the rest of the structure posed.
Service Director Belle Everett told council recently that they had footed the bill for the demolition, and must determine what to do about the empty lot.
“We will probably put [the demolition cost] on as a lien on their property. The lot is very, very small. No one could build on that legally. It would probably make good sense to negotiate with surrounding neighbors to have it parceled to get it back into the tax system.”
The dollars used for the emergency teardown came from the city’s demolition fund, according to Everett.
Councilman Jim Zucal wanted to pursue all avenues to ensure the city was not on the hook for the cost, and said that they needed to exhaust all avenues to bill the homeowners insurance or handle the matter in court if no coverage was active.
All occupants of the dwelling were able to escape the fire without injury.
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