City targets 71 dilapidated houses for demolition over three years
By JIM FAILE
The City of Hartsville has identified 71 abandoned or dilapidated residential structures officials want to tear down. City officials are soliciting bids for demolition of the structures over the next three years.
“There’s no way we’ll be able to get to all of them in one year. The idea is to try to attack them as the money becomes available,” Public Service Director James Clemons said.
The process will still involve attempting to locate the owner of the property, notifying them that the structure is beyond repair and needs to come down and that if the owner does not take the responsibility to tear it down the city will and attach a lien to the property for the cost, Clemons said.
Over the past year about 12 such houses have been brought down, according to Clemons. The city did 10 of those, while property owners took down two, he said.
“I don’t know what percentage of rental owners live outside the city, but that’s our biggest problem,” he said.
Most of the targeted houses are in the South Hartsville area, Clemons said. He said department officials sought input from Hartsville City Council members who represent the neighborhoods in which the structures are located.
Clemons said the houses are in varying states of disrepair, including some with roofs and floors gone and walls falling in.
In one case, officials found a man living in a tent set up in a house that had no roof or floor, no plumbing or electricity, he said.
Clemons said the effort will likely start with 20 or 25 houses determined to be in the worst shape. He said in cases where multiple houses are located on the same street officials may try to take down all of those at the same time.