Published: July 10, 2008 11:03 am         

Logansport’s problem properties earn city’s ire

Mayor commits to fighting code, building violations.

City residents who aren’t properly maintaining their property could soon find themselves in court.

The City of Logansport will be cracking down on code and building violations such as trash piling up, grass and weeds growing out or structures becoming unsafe, Mayor Mike Fincher announced Wednesday at the Board of Public Works and Safety meeting.

“Good citizens can’t even sit in their yards anymore,” Fincher said to a nearly empty room at the meeting. “We’re going to do something. We’re going to do something.”

Fincher was speaking in response to a specific complaint he received earlier in the day. A woman called him upset that she couldn’t sit in her backyard because of the smell coming from 1804 Woodlawn Ave. That property has received 86 different property violation letters from the city since 1986, Fincher said.

But the problem is city-wide, he said. The Woodlawn property is one of 53 in Logansport which has been labeled condemned.

“People have every right to be disgusted, disappointed and dismayed with the city,” the mayor said. “We’ve been patient with the wrong people and it’s not right. It’s just not right.”

At the meeting Monday, the board approved a request by Building Commissioner Gary Hostetler to lift the condemnation against one of the properties, 1025 20th Street.

In the future, Fincher said he wants to do less with the “condemnation” title. Instead, he said he wants to take the residents to court. At the meeting, he set a deadline of July 23 for Hostetler to come up with a plan of action.

“Let the call go out — we’re going to go to court if we can,” Fincher said. “We’re going to do something.”

Brian Rosenthal can be reached at (574) 732-5148, or via e-mail at Brian.Rosenthal@pharostribune.com