News

George Street house meets its end

Posted May 13, 2015 11:00 pm

By Pete Spitler The Herald Tribune

CHESTER -- The seven-month saga between the Chester City Council and the house at 1047 George St. came to an end on Thursday, when a worker with Red Dot Construction and Equipment Rental demolished the structure with a track hoe.

Red Dot was the lone bidder for the demolition and the $5,900 price tag will be added as a lien on the property.

"We'll get all of our costs together and at some point, we'll file a lien on the property for all the costs that we have incurred," City Attorney Jeff Kerkhover said.

Property records with the Randolph County Assessor's office show photos of the house in happier times, with children's bicycles parked on the sidewalk near the front porch. That was in stark contrast to the scene on Thursday, when the residents of George Street stood in a steady rain to see the house get torn down.

"Maybe our property values will go up now," a neighbor at the scene said.

Computerized assessor records on the property don't go back farther than 2002, when the 1,024 square-foot house was owned by Steven Chiles. Steven Chiles owned it until 2005, when ownership passed to Ryan and Kristy Chiles.

The pair owned the house until 2009, when it became the property of American General Finance (now Springleaf Financial Services). Ross Harris Investments, LLC purchased the lot from AGF for $5,000 on August 31, 2009.

Less than two months later, on October 9, 2009, Harris Investments traded the property for $500, but records don't indicate to whom and for what. According to its website, Harris Investments provides affordable housing through seller-financing programs at monthly payments allegedly under market rent for comparable homes.

The property remained under Harris Investments' control until September 26, 2011, when it was sold for $3,168 to Anthony E. Walker Jr. and Kathy Walker.

The Walkers remained owners until October 2014, when records indicate the deed passed into the hands of current owner and Carbondale resident Clarence Johnson. Johnson reportedly purchased the house from the Walkers for $1 based upon an advertisement on Craigslist.

Johnson appeared before the Chester City Council on December 1, 2014 and stated his intent to renovate the property into his personal residence.

After giving him a month to make significant progress, the council rejected Johnson's rehabilitation plan in its Jan. 20 session and slated the property for demolition.

The bid from Red Dot was accepted at the council's May 4 session.

"It's been a long time coming and I'm happy we finally reached the moment where the eyesore will be gone," said Chester Mayor Tom Page on Thursday. "We're not done with just that house. We're going to make some progress to get the city cleaned up."

Chester Alderman Donnie Clark, who lives two doors down from the house, said other George Street residents are pleased to see the demolition. It was previously reported that the house had a large cockroach infestation that was affecting nearby homes.

"Everybody's happy to finally see that thing we've had to look at for several years now finally come down," Clark said.

Clark also spoke on the potential future for the lot, which also included a 408-square foot wood frame garage at the rear of the property.

"Sometimes we have an option of selling the lot if a neighbor wants to buy it," Clark said. "If not, it will just be an empty lot that will need to be maintained by the city.

"We have sold them before, but you don't get nearly what you invest in it."

George Street house timeline

Oct. 20, 2014 - Chester City Council unanimously declares the house at 1047 George St. “dangerous and unsafe” and slated it for demolition.

Dec. 1, 2014 - New owner and Carbondale resident Clarence Johnson speaks during public comment at the Chester City Council session. Johnson says the property’s previous owners, Anthony “Tony” Walker and Kathy Walker did not disclose the council’s previous action to him.

Johnson states his intent to renovate the property into his personal residence and the council tells him it will require a written rehabilitation plan by its next meeting.

Dec. 15, 2014 - Johnson speaks to the council once again and could not provide a timeframe for the completion of renovations, which he estimated were to cost $33,000 - not including electrical and plumbing.

Demolition costs were estimated at $10,700.

City Attorney Jeff Kerkhover tells the council the demolition is still pending. Chester Mayor Tom Page gives Johnson until the council’s Jan. 20 meeting to show progress.

Jan. 20, 2015 - The Chester City Council formally rejects Johnson’s rehabilitation plan, three months to the day after declaring the house “dangerous and unsafe.”

The council votes 5-3 (with aldermen Dan Ohlau, Mike Blechle and Russ Rader voting no) to reject the plan. Johnson is later sent a 30-day court summons to explain to a judge his intentions with the property.

The ongoing discussions also appeared to frustrate Page.

“It’s almost insane that we are still sitting here discussing this property that we all agree on is ugly,” Page said during the council meeting.

“It may not be as pretty as you want it to be, but just because it isn’t pretty doesn’t mean we can ask a judge to tear it down,” Kerkhover said to the council.

Feb. 5, 2015 - During a meeting of the Chester Police, Fire and Public Safety Committee, Chester Police Chief Ryan Coffey said in a span of two and a half years, his department received 74 calls for service at the house.

Coffey said those calls included domestic violence, drug abuse, child complaints and trash and debris.

May 4, 2015 - The Chester City Council accepts a $5,900 bid from Red Dot Construction and Equipment Rental (the only company that bid) to demolish the house. The demolition cost will be filed as a lien on the property.

May 14, 2015 - The saga comes to an end as the house is demolished and the lot cleared.

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