- Boone County approved the demolition of a deteriorated home on Point Pleasant Road in Hebron after code enforcement deemed it a public safety hazard.
- The county will cover upfront demolition costs, invoice the owner, and place a lien on the property if payment is not made.
- Officials cited a collapsed wall, failing foundation and proximity to the road as key safety concerns.
Boone County has ordered for the demolition of a dilapidated house off Point Pleasant Road with a deteriorated foundation.
On Tuesday, Jan. 29, Boone County Code Enforcement officials informed the fiscal court that a home at 3079 Point Pleasant Road in Hebron had received an anonymous complaint from a resident last October, alleging that the property had deteriorated to the point that a code enforcement inspection was warranted.
On Oct. 1, code enforcement officers inspected the property and found that the home violated local regulations due to a detached wall and foundation issues. After the inspection, they contacted the property owner.
The property owner later acknowledged the home’s unsafe conditions in correspondence with code enforcement officials. The owner does not reside at the address. Boone County property records show that he purchased the property for $30,000 in August 2001. On Oct. 14, the homeowner contacted Boone County to inform them that he did not have the financial resources to fund the demolition at that time.
Under Boone County’s regulations, the county may step in to demolish or repair an unsafe property if an owner fails to comply with a hearing board order. Boone County may perform the work itself or hire a contractor, and all related costs, including fines and repair and demolition costs, become a lien on the property.
If a structure poses an immediate danger, the county can proceed with demolition and impose a lien for all related expenses. Proceeds from salvaged materials are used first to cover these costs, with any remaining funds returned to the owner.
The Boone County Code Enforcement Board held a hearing on Nov. 20, at which it determined the property to be a public safety concern and approved proceeding with demolition, along with the removal of all materials and debris from the property.
Ultimately, the fiscal court approved a resolution supporting the code enforcement board’s ruling. Boone County will cover the upfront costs from the general fund and invoice the owner, with the option to place a lien if payment is not made. Code enforcement officials said the property owner is aware that he will be invoiced for the full cost of the demolition.
Code enforcement officials shared photos of the building showing a fully collapsed wall and a foundation beginning to cave in. Moreover, its location on the plot, approximately 20 feet from Point Pleasant Road, raised concerns that the building could spill onto the road if it fully collapsed.
Commissioner Chet Hand asked whether the structure truly posed a public safety risk if it remained unoccupied.
“I guess the pictures and the GIS make it seem pretty close, obviously, to other properties, but just regarding this process, I mean, if no one accesses the building, it’s not really a risk,” he said.
However, officials responded by saying the building was too far gone to justify investing resources in stabilizing the structure.
Boone County Judge/Executive Gary Moore outlined the next steps for the property owner.
“So what takes place next, the cost – you’ll get quotes, and the cost of this, if you can’t pay the invoice, then there will be a lien put on the property, so then whatever the property would be liquidated, or whatever might happen, or if he chooses to pay off the lien later, he could,” Moore said.
Moore stated that although he is a proponent of personal property rights and protections, he believed the information available in this particular case justified the decision.
“I’m a strong proponent of personal property rights, and I don’t like government going onto someone’s private property and doing something like this, but you’ve well documented the response from the owner, and he’s not objecting – sounds like he’s wanting – us to clean it up, but he can’t afford to do it, so that would cause me to support it,” Moore said.
