One Albert Lea property owner seems to have run out of options when it comes to having his building condemned by the city.

Friday, January 25, 2002

One Albert Lea property owner seems to have run out of options when it comes to having his building condemned by the city. The property in question, located at 722 S. Washington Ave, and owned by Juan Juarez, has been a problem for city inspectors and neighbors since 1999, Albert Lea Fire Chief Richard Sydnes reported to the City Council at its Jan. 17 meeting.

At that meeting Juarez, speaking through an interpreter, asked for more time to fix his property. Juarez also said he didn’t understand what was being discussed. The council voted to postpone action until city staff could meet with Juarez and an interpreter to discuss the building in question.

This past week city staff tried to just that, said Neal Lindeman, from the City Inspector’s office. A meeting was set up with an interpreter for 2 p.m. at city hall, and a letter in Spanish providing information about meeting and the pending demolition was hand-delivered to Juarez, Lindeman said. But Juarez did not show up.

The building is not Juarez’s home; he lives in another house nearby, but purchased the house for $1,000 in 1998 as a potential rental property, said Lindeman. Since then Juarez has gutted the inside, worked on the plumbing and wiring, and done some roof replacement work. None of the work is up to city code requirements, said Sydnes

In his earlier report, Sydnes said that city staff was concerned that the amount of money required to bring the house up to code – more $50,000 by city inspector’s estimates – was beyond the means of the current property owner.

The council is scheduled to discuss the demolition at next Monday’s meeting.