“It’s in shambles. I mean it looks horrible to look at every single day,” Hootman said. “As you can tell it’s a rundown house, it has broken windows, the property barely gets maintained.”
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He’s lived on Walnut Street for about 15 years and said the home near him started getting bad a few years ago.
“I tried helping out, me and a couple of neighbors, helping him mow the lawn,” Hootman said.
Hootman has contacted the village numerous times to see if something could be done.
The Springfield News-Sun contacted the village of South Charleston leaders and they sent the following statement:
“The village of South Charleston Commission and Management is committed to keeping our village aesthetically pleasing. This includes enforcing nuisance abatement issues and pursuing offenders. When it comes to the clean-up or tear down of vacant/run-down properties, the village seeks the most appropriate funding to save taxpayer dollars and must pursue properties and owners legally to resolve these issues. This process of legally pursuing a property and finding funding can, unfortunately, take time. The village of South Charleston is currently working on this particular property and is determined to find a fiscal and legally responsible resolution.”
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The property records reflect a problem with ownership.
The home was sold at a Clark County Sheriff’s Auction in January 2012, according to county documents. Jeffery James Hurley paid $11,510 for the property at the auction. Hurley couldn’t be reached for comment.
The home is still listed under the former owners’ names on its online property records, despite the sheriff’s sale. When that was brought to the attention of Shayne Grey, GIS director for Clark County, he said a step was missed on someone’s part.
There are records of Hurley purchasing the home and picking up the deed from the sale but Grey said the auditor’s office doesn’t have proof of him transferring the property to his name.
“According to us, Glenn Webster is still the deed owner of the property but Mr. Hurley has an equitable interest in it,” Grey said.
Taxes haven’t been paid on the property since 2013, Grey said, and about $3,800 is owed. That makes the property eligible for foreclosure sale again.
“Taxes not paid for two years will certify it for tax sale again … Neither one of them are paying taxes on it,” he said. “It is eligible for tax sale again.”
The property will likely sit there until the county can sell it, Grey said, and there are many other properties that need to be sold in the county.
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