RENO, Nev. (KRNV & MyNews4.com) – Neighbors in Stead are asking why the city is not doing more to secure an abandoned housing development after two possible arsons since December.
“It's time for them to knock them down or do something about them or else maybe one day they might start a fire and it might be pretty hard to put it out,” Neighbor Kevin Trigilo said.
Alex Woodley of Reno code enforcement says the houses have actually been boarded up twice before, but vandals keep ripping off the plywood.
“A home vacant like this one we're standing it, in a populated neighborhood, we would defiantly secure that within 24 hours,” he said.
These homes are on 70 remote acres and don't take priority since the city abatement budget was slashed 50 percent or about $25,000.The city says there is a solution to their money crunch, a new state law allows them to force a tax sale on these abandoned properties by filing a lien for unpaid code violation fines.
“So at that point we'd make sure the city would get paid and the property would go itno the hands of someone who's interested in doing something with it,” Woodley said.
While that solution could take at least four years, there’s some good news for the Stead neighbors. Code enforcement says a new property owner is agreeing to help demolish the buildings by the end of next month.
