Tuesday, May 21 2013 12:18 PM EDT2013-05-21 16:18:28 GMT
Three people were inside this burning home but managed to get out safely.
Firefighters are battling a massive fire in East Bank in Kanawha County. A house on Walnut Street went up in flames around 5:15 a.m. Firefighters said two people were home at the time but managed to
Three escape massive fire in a home on Walnut Street in Kanawha County
MADISON -
Overgrown and forgotten. It's been that way for years and neighbors are fed up.
"I wish somebody would clean it up," said one neighbor of the Nellis home hidden by unkempt trees bushes and grass.
Tuesday, that wish was one step closer to being granted.
The Boone County Commission and Prosecutor giving property owners a choice: Clean up the property or have it done for you and get the bill later.
"The best case scenario is that the property owner, once contacted by the abandoned building commission takes the steps to clean that piece of property up," said Boone County prosecuting attorney Keith Randolph.
If the cleanup doesn't happen by the property owner, the county then steps in, will hire contractors to clean up, or in some cases, demolish the property. A lien will then be put on the property.
Charlie Stevenson grew up in that Nellis property. He told commissioners he lost his job and did not have the money for upkeep. He was given 120 days to clean the property. After that, he will be fined $10 per day the property goes without cleanup.
"I hate seeing it like that," said Stevenson.
This commission is the first of its kind in Boone County. An exact number of homes being targeted was not readily available. County leaders estimate it in the "dozens".
All content © Copyright 2000 - 2013 WorldNow and WOWK. All Rights Reserved.
