Good afternoon, everyone.

Let's call to order the meeting for the Ebbsville Vandenberg County Building Commission for May 21st, 2026.

My name is Ryan Schultz.

I'm an appointed as your as your hearing officer by Mayor Terry.

My authority is derived from Indiana Code 36-7-9.

Building laws and ordinances enacted by the City Council of Evansville.

I have authority to issue civil penalties up to $5,000 that can require performance bonds to be posted and I can affirm ordinance violation fines.

Today the city is requesting that you repair, raise, vacate, or vacate other buildings or structures on your property.

I can affirm, modify, or deny those requests.

If you wish to appeal my decision, may do so by filing an appeal with the Vandenberg County Superior Court the 10 days of the decision.

If you do not, you may waive your rights to an appeal.

You may find the forms to assist you in filing an appeal in the Vanderburgh County Clerk's office room S250 of this building.

A magistrate judge and housing court will hear your appeal.

Now that I've advised you of your rights and my authority, anyone that expects to testify today, please stand and raise your right hand.

Do each of you solemnly swear and affirm to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.

So if you got if so, please say I do.

Thank you.

The building commission may present the first case.

Thank you, Honor.

Our first case is for Inspector Allen on page 21.

This is a routine matter.

CE number 25 CE 231.

The owner is CJ Funky.

Property addresses 2911 West Franklin Street.

This is a repair on a retaining wall and stairs at this location.

Report by the department.

The house is vacant and secure.

The yards are acceptable.

The property's been inspected 13 times.

There has been some progress on the orders.

There are no permits on file, and there's been no contact with the owner.

And I'll let Inspector Allen give her report and recommendation.

There appears to have been some work done, as Ms.

Josie said.

There are several threaded metal rods for shooting for the wall.

But we're concerned about their effectiveness as far as holding the wall or uh initiating repairs.

So we would actually recommend that um Mr.

Funky submit a detailed plan.

The detailed plans for the wall repair by a professional engineer, and then we will return on July 23rd for progress.

Sir, you heard the request from the building commission.

What's your response?

I have some pictures of uh the progress on about 85 and 90% done with the repairs on the wall.

Okay.

Why don't you show the pictures to the building commission?

And they can let them know if let me know if they have any objections, and then we'll take a look at the wall.

At this point, we're just waiting for concrete for the anchors, but there's a couple places on the wall that have cracks.

Okay.

So do you do you believe you have to you need uh an engineer to come in and review your wall?

No, I've already had all the specs spec out.

Who spec the specs out?

I didn't see any objection.

No objection.

You did.

Um it's been overbuilt.

The anchors and uh the metal rods that are being used right now are actually above the requirement for a three and a half feet wall.

And uh the uh steps, we've got the form built on the steps.

We're just waiting to pour on that.

The anchors are uh, sorry, I'll show the pictures admitted, by the way, just in case we're the anchors are six six inch by six inch square metal plate, and uh that display is 36 inches, uh square on the fourth on each section, the anchors are within eight feet apart.

Um the rods are overbuilt or three-quarter inch.

Yeah, you said that.

Did um, so did you issue a did the building commission issue a permit for this work to be completed?

My understanding was permitted not needed for a wall that's under six feet.

That's what I was told.

No, and the reason I ask is, you know, if they issue a permit, it's gonna be harder for them to condition approval of anything on so what the building commission is asking for, sir, is that you have an engineer look at your wall and I mean, right?

Is that what you're you said you just say engineer, right?

Yes, okay.

And how soon do you want to have that?

Do you want him to have that completed?

Because it that it an engineer would have it's not something that would take place in ten days, right?

Well, we can go as far as you know uh up to next hearing you June 25th, to get a professional engineers, detailed report.

Sir, also you know, are you building this wall?

Or you know, the your you're repairing the wall, it looks like.

Are your repairs um are you in you in the um in the road right of way?

Looks like the wall is protruding from looks like the walls protruding from the property.

Are you now on the road right away?

You mean about blocking the road?

No, I'm not that's not what I said.

I asked you, are you in the right-of-way?

So typically there's a right-of-way on the road.

You it goes 10 feet from the middle of the road out, or it can go 15 or whatever the road right of way says, whatever the your you know, the easement or the the documents that are recorded with your property say.

I mean it looks like you're on is it what what road is he on?

West Franklin.

Okay, so you're on West Franklin, which is a whereabouts on West Franklin?

Uh well the address is 29-11.

It's uh just uh west of Parker.

Okay, Barber and T-Cover.

Okay.

Okay.

So yeah, I.

What was the basis for how you you gave you you did the specifications for the the wall?

I did the research on it on I looked at walls and did the research on uh first.

I had to decide what what kind of anchoring system was needed to be used for several options, you can go with uh the dead man anchoring system, which is what I used.

You could go with uh like a buttress system, you can use uh there's another system that are heelable anchors, uh, but they're pretty pretty hard to put in place.

This was the most practical, and the one that could be done at a reasonable cost, and uh put the wall back into good shape and to hold it, hold it in place.

Do you have any experience?

I do.

I have some experience on building walls, I overbuilt the anchors, the rods sticking out that she referred to are actually going to be cut off once the concrete's poured in and the metal plates will be uh put up against the wall, you know, with the rod, and they'll be cut off a couple inches.

You say you're you have experience in building walls.

Tell me about that.

Well, we had uh some property that uh needed uh needed fixing it, needed walls.

I participated on that.

It was around the pool, and it was actually a lot more involved, it's a lot more extensive.

The had some pretty heavy footers built, a lottery bar built in it.

Footers were about two feet down.

The wall ended up being about 12 inches there after it was done.

That was just one side of it.

Anyway, though, the anchoring systems a little bit overbuilt.

You can use down to a half inch rod on that.

I went with a three quarter inch rod.

Um you can use a small as a four-inch by four inch anchor plane, which displaces 16 inches of the force on the wall.

I went with a six by six anchor that displaces more force, so it holds holds more.

And the wall is relatively short, it's very short, very small wall.

Um, so you know, you don't have to go to it doesn't get too involved.

If it the taller the wall gets, it it's it's not an exponential thing, but you pretty much have to double the.

Sir, can you provide your?

You said you had extensive specs, and then you spec'd it yourself.

Can you provide those to the building commission?

I can write it all out if you want to.

Yeah, I would.

Let's do that.

Let's have you write out your specs.

Um, provide to the building commission.

Um I'm gonna take the request.

You know, this is all right.

So what is your what is the building commission's request?

Just so I'm clear.

Your Honor, at this point, the building commission's request was just that uh Mr.

Funkey provide a uh detailed plan by a professional engineer showing what is being done and and that it meets what is required.

Uh the building commission spoke to the city engineers who said based off what was depicted in those photographs, it was not sufficient to hold up that wall uh and to bring that wall into in the meeting code.

Um if you're inclined to continue this matter till June 25th, we'd ask that you order Mr.

Funky to provide the specs to us within 10 days to allow us time to talk to a licensed professional engineer about those specs and get their opinion, be prepared before the next hearing.

Yeah, um, so you need to I'm gonna order that you provide your you provide your specifications to the building commission.

You know, you said you had extensive specs, you're overbuilding it, that's all great.

Uh sounds great anyway.

Um so provide those specifications to the building commission, and then we'll continue to matter um until June, bring it back in June.

Um, and then we'll revisit it that time.

I mean, are we?

I mean, is this something that you that the building commission concerns that the wall's gonna fall imminently, or is it something that it's I mean, sounds like he's constructing it.

He sounds like he's in working on it.

I mean, ultimately he's the property owner, so he's you know responsible for it.

But is there what are what are our concerns on this?

We're just concerned um that the repairs that are being done are not going to be sufficient.

Judging from what we're just what we can see, doesn't appear to be efficient uh effective in holding that wall up.

I think I I think your honor, in terms of the condition, uh there's not an imminent concern that's gonna fall down within the next week, but there is a concern that uh if the wall would be allowed to continue to deteriorate as can be seen in those photographs that Mr.

Funky provided, uh it will eventually at some point cause an issue and perhaps collapse into the the sidewalk slash road.

Okay.

Sir, is that a problem for you?

Are you able to provide these specifications by the next within the next 10 days to the building commission, and then we'll bring this matter back in June?

I can do that.

Okay.

Sounds great.

So that's what that's what we'll do.

Um bring the matter back June the twenty fifth.

Um provide.

I'm gonna order that you provide those the specifications for your wall to the building commission within 10 days.

Yeah, sure.

Okay.

Can you give can you give uh Mr.

Funky your email address, please?

Just write it out for them.

Maybe you have a facts.

Do you always do that?

Okay.

I might just fax it.

Yes, I think.

You can use the SMSD.

Use this one.

Yeah, please go.

Okay.

Okay.

Mr.

Funk, you have a great day.

Thank you.

Next for Inspector Allen on page four.

This is an evidentiary matter.

CE number 26 CE 73.

This is a repair order on a house and garage located at 1931 Hathaway Avenue and a raise order on a shed only at the same address.

The owners are Jerry F and Ellen M.

Austinberg.

Awesome ball.

And they are present.

Mind it come up with report by the department.

The house is vacant and secure.

The yards are not acceptable.

The property has been inspected seven times.

There has been little progress on the orders, there are no permits on file, and there's been no contact with the owners, and we're ready to proceed.

Inspector Allen, are you familiar with a second, please?

Are you um Jerry and Helen Austinball?

Yes.

Okay.

And you heard the report from the building commission?

Did you hear that?

Okay.

And do you believe the house should not be raised?

The house should not.

There's nothing wrong with the house.

We know there's a problem is with the garage.

We were going to subsiding on it, but as you see, neither one of us are on my understanding.

Yeah, they're asking that the there's a repair order on the repair the house in the garage and then demolish the shed only.

There's a shed that has fallen, which we need to finish cleaning up.

There is some trees and saplings that we need to get cut down and other thing.

He has medical issues.

I just retired from a full-time job and haven't been able to run the work on it yet.

So I mean we've done what we could do possibly when the evenings and weekends if we had time to do it.

But you do you do agree though, it sounds like that there are repairs that need to be made to the house and to the garage.

To the garage.

The house has the gutters and everything put back on it, and we tried to clean up around it.

And like I said, there are saplings that need to be cut, but um maybe we've gotten rid of it.

But I just can't do it all by myself.

Okay.

As far as the garage, yes, I know it needs to be repaired, and he can't find a ladder, neither can I to put shut out siding or anything on it.

We need to see about hire somebody to do it.

We just haven't had a chance to do that.

Okay.

I'm just not sure.

In this day and age, you're so leering about hiring people to do stuff for you because you just never know what's going to happen.

Right, but this has been an issue that's been going on for over a year though, right?

Correct.

Okay.

He's had double knee replacement surgery, and it's just been an ongoing battle with our health.

Okay.

Uh let's go ahead and hear the evidence, and then um, so ma'am, what we're gonna do is the building commission's gonna present their evidence as to um why the property in the garage should be uh repaired and then um what needs to be repaired on it and then why the shed should be raised.

Okay, sounds like you're in agreement on some of it, you know, maybe all of it, I don't know, but um, and they'll let them present their evidence and then um we'll make I'll make a decision after that time.

You'll have an opportunity to ask them questions.

You'll have opportunity to present whatever evidence you want as well.

So pay attention to what they're saying.

If you want to refute their evidence, you're welcome to do that.

But we'll do we'll I'll give you an opportunity to refute that evidence, okay?

Do you have any questions?

Questions?

No.

Okay.

Please proceed.

Inspector Allen, are you familiar with property located at 1931 Hathaway Avenue?

I am.

Is that located from the city of Evansville, Indiana?

Yes, it is.

Would you please tell the court what I've just handed you?

Uh exhibit one is a list of the violations for the property.

Exhibit two are 150 pictures taken of the property.

Exhibit three, the order to repair the house and garage.

Exhibit four, the order to raise the shed, exhibit five, the title search for the property, exhibit six through seven, uh package of affidavits of service, and exhibit eight, the signed notice of violation.

Your Honor, we move to admit these exhibits and the evidence.

Um Jerry and Helen, please review those exhibits and offer any objection that you might have into me reviewing those when I make, you know, just in me rendering a decision on this case.

I thought we had gotten all the vegetation off of the house.

I didn't realize there was any more back there.

I was talking about that show.

I was talking about the one that was over on the other side of the house.

Any objection to me reviewing those documents?

Okay.

We'll show the exhibit submitted without objection.

Thanks.

Inspector Allen, approximately how many times have you inspected this property?

Seven times.

Yes, that's correct.

Why are you seeking a race of the shed?

Um it's it's almost it's falling down.

Um there's a lot of uh tree debris on top of it.

It's uh it doesn't have a door, it's it's uh piled up with a lot of um stuff, just miscellaneous things.

Um, and I'm handing you page three from the photographs that were just submitted from May 11th, 2026.

Is that top left and bottom left photos depicting the shed?

That's what are these photos that have been admitted into evidence?

Yes, draw it.

Okay, it's the ones on May 11th, page three.

Okay.

And can you tell the uh hearing officer what these photos are depicting?

Uh well, again, that is the the small shed uh towards the back of the house.

Um you can see there's uh a lot of overgrowth, there's uh moss growing on the roof, there's um some limbs from fallen trees that are laying on it, and uh the wood structure is starting to uh fall apart.

Is that trash and debris on the interior?

Uh debris, yes.

Okay.

Moving to the house on this property.

What's your concern with the house?

Well, this did come in as a neighbor complaint.

Um, so they really the the complaint was just that um the house seemed to be unmaintained.

Uh there's um like the front door, uh the door frame is is rotted at the bottom.

Um just uh, like I said, the overgrowth all around the house.

Uh there was they did put up a new piece of gutter.

Um there was gutter missing uh on the um, if you're facing the house on the uh the front, but on to the right in uh the north end of the house.

They did get that replaced.

Uh but just general overall, just uh maintaining the house.

Um just uh cleaning up and and uh and just uh painting painting what needs to be painted, just uh just general upkeep.

And I want to ask about the the yard on this property.

Has there been any concern about trash or debris in the yard?

Uh yes, actually, our uh city contractor did go out and clean the property to what they could clean up.

Uh there were some tires, stacks of tires, and uh I'm not sure what all was on the property, but they did uh they did take some uh debris away.

Is trash and debris still an issue on this property?

Um I'm not sure.

And I'm looking at this picture.

I think under that old tarp is a motorcycle, so uh, but I don't really see any more trash uh debris, just um just fallen trees and some old fencing that has fallen in the back, and just uh the vegetation is overgrown.

Making sure I understand on on the house, your main concern is that the you know the wood, the all around the windows, door frames, yes are deteriorating, and that's uh some of that's rotting, is that is that correct?

That's correct, yes.

Okay, and then there's additionally vegetation growing uh that that's become an issue for uh the neighbors.

Yes, okay.

Moving to the garage on this property, what's your concern with the garage?

Well, um, it's uh the the exterior walls are made of particle board, um, and most of the paint has peeled off.

Um, picture here on the north side near the chimney, uh, you can see that uh there's a hole.

Um and is that on page three of the photos from May 11th?

Yes.

Is that that bottom right?

Yes, and the gutter um the gutters are not uh complete on the uh garage.

So you're concerned with the garage is that the out tier outer walls are are deteriorating, that there's holes in the walls, and that there's uh gutters missing.

Are there any other concerns with the uh garage?

Uh no other than just the vegetation room over it.

Okay, and for the the house and garage, you're just asking for a repair order.

That's correct.

No further questions, Your Honor.

Awesome balls.

Do you have any questions on those questions for the building inspector?

Uh on one side of the house, we cleaned all that up, but I don't know if they when they took that particular photograph or not.

The whole south side of the house has been cleaned up.

When was the last time you were out of the property?

On May 19th.

Okay, so when did you do it?

Last uh two days?

Um it's beginning to grow up again.

Our son had been living there trying to help us take care of it and we ended up in the hospital with medical issues, so he is now living with us, and so we're there has not been anybody there for a short period of time, but you know, so are you living in this residence?

But you're not living here?

No, or someone lives there.

Do you have anything else you'd like to add or like the do you have anything else?

No, your honor.

So, do you have any any other questions for the building commission?

Do you have anything you'd like to say?

Any evidence you'd like to present?

Any comments?

I don't think so.

Well, it sounds it looks like you you signed a statement or you you signed an order or uh you you signed this um the the letter from the building commission depicting the list of violations, and it looks like you said you agreed with them on May 27, 2025.

Is that right?

I think I went down to the office and signed it.

Okay.

And we did agree with them.

Okay.

All right.

Well, look, um are there now new violations that you want you added to this?

Um, screen someone here.

I think it's all the same.

Uh no, Your Honor, I think they're all the same.

Okay, I have a question.

When would they go out and clean up debris?

I was just out there the other day and I didn't see anything.

Uh I would have to check with the um the uh coordinator to find out.

Um, but I know I believe it was cleaned.

Uh what it was Monday.

I think it was clean Monday, but I'm not positive.

I mean, it's the trees that are down, the down trees and whatnot, that was cleaned up.

No, no, no.

Just the debris.

There were stacks of tires and things like that in the on the south side of the house, and they can.

Oh, I see what you're saying.

I see it now.

Yeah, they unfortunately.

Um I think they uncovered the the tarp was disintegrating, they looked to see what was under it.

So it wasn't motorcycle, and they won't take anything with the bin number, so.

Anything else, folks?

So based on the evidence presented today and the testimony from the building commission, um, as it relates um to the shed, you know, it's fallen over.

I think that was I think you even said it, ma'am, that it that it was in disrepair and needed to be, it was fallen over.

So I'm gonna find that the structure is an impaired structure initiative that makes them safe to persons or property, do the complaints, the structure is a public nuisance, and the structure is um vacant or blighted and not maintain a mirror that allowed for human habitation occupancy or use in the requirements of a statute or ordinance.

So I'm gonna go ahead and I'm gonna I am going to approve um the raise order on the on the uh shed.

Um as it relates to your your repair of your house and your garage, you've already agreed to those items that they need to be repaired.

Um so I'm going to affirm by agreement, um, even though I also agree that all you know a lot of these items need to be repaired.

I'm not so much worried about a little bit of rot around your door frames and things of that nature.

I mean, but uh ultimately at some point you're gonna have to repair those things.

I'm gonna order that those be repaired, um, but I think you need to provide a plan and time frame to the building commission at a minimum to get some of the stuff cleaned up around the property.

Um so can you can you I mean, and also just so you know too, I mean there are non-profits out there that that help when you don't have maybe necessarily the you might have the means, but you don't have the, you can't get out there and climb ladders like you said.

So there's some maybe some nonprofits, and there's certainly laborers out there that would be willing to go out and do that.

You just have to find out who that is.

Building commission probably has some contractors' names that you they can reach out to or you can reach out to them for um so it is by agreement, but I will I'll go ahead and also um when it came to the um the call that you received, you said you came as in a complaint.

Was it about the house or was it about the garage, or was it about the shed, or all of them?

All of the above.

Okay, just the entire property.

So it's a so it is a public nuisance because your neighbors have to live next door to properties like this that you know that you don't see every day, but if if it's overgrowing and it looks bad, and there's it makes it look like you know it kind of brings down the value of the other people's properties in the area.

It looks like you've owned it since the 70s.

Um, you know, so I'm sure you want you have a best interest in keeping it looking nice, but it's in a it's probably in a it's um you're just probably not there every day, um so it's just not something that's on top of mine, but uh we'll find the structures in paired structure and condition that makes it unsafe to persons or property.

So I'm gonna affirm it by both you know my ruling and by agreement as well.

So um the building commission's gonna work with you on it, they're pretty reasonable in these in these circumstances.

So can you provide a plan and time frame to the building commission as to when you think you'll be able to have these things done?

Okay, well, just understand.

Do your best.

Um if you have any questions, reach out to the building.

I've got one question, sure.

What you got?

When they mail us these orders and stuff to do, it takes 10 days through the mail just to get what we send through the mail.

Yeah, so by the time you get 10 days behind already, so that don't wait much to for you to get anything cleaned up.

I understand that, sir.

What you can do now is you I mean, I'll have the building commission make a copy of the things you need to have done.

When I when I mention a plan and time frame, what that does is that that allows you to set your plan, set the time frame with which you are you're gonna have these things done, um, that should be able to give you know plenty of time for you to accomplish these things, and it's frankly it's something that you set, you know, within reason before so the building commission will agree to it as well, but you know, at that point when you set it, you know it's within your control.

With the weather, it's been kind of difficult.

Excuse me, with all the rain and what we've had, it's been difficult to get over the you know, work also.

Yeah, we'll see.

We'll try to get started on quickly, okay.

Best of luck to you.

And your honor, can we bring the uh house and garage back in July 23rd for progress?

Yeah, we'll well um I don't know that that gives them enough time.

Can we set it out 90 days instead of 60?

All right, folks.

Can you we're gonna I'm gonna order that this property be brought back in on August the 27th?

For further compliance, I'm also gonna order a plan and time frame be tendered to the building commission within 30 days.

So that means a planet time frame to complete everything, just the plan be submitted to the building commission in the next 30 days.

Can you do that?

Okay, alright, thank you.

Next for uh Director Dauphin on page 11.

This is one that was contained as an evidentiary from the April hearing, CE number 26 CE51.

This is a repair on house and garage located at 2610 Helmuth Avenue.

Lauren E.

Tapp is here for this one.

Report by the department, the property is vacant and secure, the yards are not acceptable due to limbs and branches.

The property has been inspected seven times.

There's been no progress on the orders.

There are no active permits on file.

And there's been no contact with the owner, and we're ready to proceed.

Are you familiar with the property located at 2610 Helmouth Avenue?

Yes, I am.

Is that located within the city of Evansville, Indiana?

Yes, it is.

You please tell the court what I've just handed you.

Exhibit one is a list of violations for the property.

Exhibit two is 37 photos of the property.

Exhibit three is the order to repair the house and garage.

Exhibit four and five is packets of affidavit of service.

Your Honor, we move to admit these exhibits and evidence.

And it's a yes or no question.

Okay.

Do you have any objection to me reviewing the documents?

Documents in front of you.

I can look at them.

Okay.

All right.

Well then we'll show the exhibits to me without objection.

Coordinator, have you been out to look at this property?

Yes, I have.

Sorry.

She's still reviewing them.

My apologies, Ron.

Okay.

Okay.

All right, we'll show the exhibits amended.

Thank you.

Proceed.

And Coordinator Dauphin, you were saying when was the last time you've been out to inspect this property?

Uh today.

Today.

And when you went out today to inspect this property, uh, what did you uh have concerns with about the house?

Uh, biggest concern of the house is just the house and garage are both boarded up.

Um there's some rod along the um the roof line, uh, the roof itself.

Uh, issues, minor maintenance issues with uh gutters, uh, downspouts.

Uh the AC units been removed in the back, so you have some exposed wiring.

Um there any issues with the uh the roof other than with the gutters.

Yeah, there's uh some shingles missing in uh some spots uh is there any issues with the meters on this property?

Uh the meter's been pulled, it's got the the red plate uh place there, so currently there's no utilities.

Is there any issues with the porch on the house?

Yeah, there's a crack in the porch and the the four by fours uh that are holding the front porch up, the supports uh appear to be pretty worn down and there's no protective treatment on them.

Moving to the garage, um, what's your concern with the garage?

Uh, main concern with it is uh the roof and the the fact that it's it's well it doesn't matter that's boarded up.

Uh it's the roof, the roof's just worn on it a little bit.

Um the general condition of the property altogether.

This came in as a fight light complaint uh for a boarded up property.

Um, what does that mean?

Hold on, ma'am.

You'll have an opportunity to ask your questions right now.

He's testifying to that, okay.

Yeah, so it just came in as a pipe-light complaint uh from some neighbor in the area, uh being that's a boarded up property.

Uh so we responded, notice these uh deficiencies with the property.

Is there any issues with the gutters or drainage on the garage?

Uh yes, I don't remember seeing gutters on the garage, and the ordinance does state that all buildings have to have uh a gutter system on it.

Yeah, I see that the is there something about a fish pond on this property as well?

Uh, there is uh so this is Inspector Tremell's case.

She's out with a medical uh issue.

There is a small, I guess I would call a coi pond in the front yard.

Her ha her opinion was this creates a hazard.

I it's it's a yard decoration, it's I don't see a violation with this.

Um it's not something I would have agreed with my inspector on this.

Okay.

So your your main concerns are just with the house and garage.

Yes, yeah, just some minor stuff that needs to be done on it.

Uh onboard the windows so the house is it's zoned residential so we can get it back into into residential use and it can be used properly.

And you're just asking for the house and garage to be repaired, correct?

No further questions, all right, man.

Now is your opportunity to ask questions of the building or of the inspector, um, in this case the coordinator dolphin.

Um, you know, on those questions that he was asked by by the attorney.

I don't know where to start.

Obviously, this home needs work.

What's that?

I know this home needs to work.

I know that I've never lived there.

It was my grandma's.

I'll try to go quicker.

It was my grandma's.

My grandma died in ninety-seven.

She left this house to my little cousin who was four years old at the time.

His parents were supposed to take care of it and paid the taxes.

It was paid off.

Until he became of age, they did not.

Um they got gone.

Years went by, the home went up for tax sale.

And at the end of 2008, my family, my immediate family received, um, a letter saying, hey, if you pay the past due taxes and liens on it, it's yours.

So I did.

Okay, ma'am, can I just stop you right there?

I don't mean to um just yeah, so I I have the reason why I'm going back this far, is because I spent my 22nd birthday in two thousand nine in court, being court ordered to put gutters on that garage.

So this house has been in my name eighteen years, and I can only think of one spring that the building commission wouldn't have me do something, and I mean that.

I put all new windows in that house.

I put all new siding on that house.

I put them damn gutters on the garage.

If you go back and look, you can see.

I let him have it.

And he lived there and he did good.

And even still with the house looking nice.

I I would know that spring is sprung because I'd get my letter from the city saying that the grass needed to be bowed.

And I feel like it's a harassment because there are other yards in the same neighborhood that I mow at the same time.

Every year.

Every time I'd mow, I'd mow the other yards too.

And their yards wouldn't get flagged.

So I felt like they just knew to come back to that address and find something.

One time it was just that one of the downspouts was missing.

And this is, I mean, going through 18 years.

Well.

He got gone.

I.

Life punched me in the face in this last decade.

I didn't even know he was gone.

DR got real bad.

I didn't know.

Uh the uh the city said that they mowed it.

And they didn't.

And I got mad about it.

And I called and I got real nasty.

I was nasty.

I I told them that they were lazy because they just drove back to the same addresses.

In 18 years, I don't know how many garages I've seen that didn't have gutters on them.

I don't know how many yards.

I don't know how many houses look worse than this one with people living in them.

So I feel like I just can't win.

And now somebody's busted out all the windows again.

The windows are boarded up because you guys ordered me to board them up.

Somebody set it on fire.

And after my cousin moved out, I was already down.

I did I wasn't even thinking about home insurance.

And when the cops, the only investigating they did was to make sure I didn't have home insurance on it to collect the check, and I'm broke.

I just I can't do it all at once, and I don't know what to do.

I hear you.

And I've got all like the things that I can do, I've done the greens gone off the back of the house.

Like, say the things that, you know, like I have done what, you know, a little bit, but it's just tearing it down is 10 grand.

And another thing, I before uh I screwed up my life.

I got approved for a loan to fix it.

And then it came back and they said this home has been willed to somebody.

So whenever I paid the house new taxes and liens on it, did I not become the owner or am I just an idiot?

I don't even know how you figure that out.

I really am sorry.

It's just I feel stuck.

I don't feel I can't sell it.

I don't know what to do.

But I I know.

I know what it looks like.

I don't know how to help myself.

So Miss Tapp, um it doesn't look that bad.

It just in fact it doesn't look bad hardly at all.

So why just let me just ask a couple questions?

Okay.

Um so building commission.

This came as a complaint.

It did, yes, Your Honor.

Okay, it does look like there are gutters on the garage.

It it does.

After uh we're doing the photos, there are it's the it's the downspouts.

Uh they run straight down, they're not directed away from the foundation.

So uh by the ordinance they need to be directed away from the foundation of the property.

Okay.

Maybe you can go to Home Depot.

And for like five bucks.

Get a little black hose.

Cut in half, put it on your gutter, and then direct it away from your house.

Yeah, I don't um.

Does it say it has to be directed away from the house or the porch?

Because it looks like on one of these it's it's the porch.

I mean, I don't uh.

So you can see, Your Honor, the one in the front there where it's uh by the on the front porch, the spouts pointing straight down to the foundation of the front porch.

That's part of the foundation of the structure, so it just needs to be directed away from there.

Okay.

And then the garage has one that's the same way.

Uh the drainage pipe runs straight down.

There's nothing to angle away.

Yes, Your Honor.

It would still affect the foundation of the of the structure.

The water needs to be directed away from it.

Okay.

So we have this lady brought in to direct water away from the house and from the garage.

Uh so the case was initially inspected uh in March of 2025, and we haven't had these minor repairs made in over a year.

Um so if there's no progress on it through volunteer compliance, our next step would be to come into hearings uh try to get someone's attention so we can get these minor repairs done and we can move on to the next phase.

So hold on, I'm not done.

Okay.

I tend to agree with her.

I tend to agree with her that I recognize that these are minor issues, that there seems to be other issues that we can, a lot bigger issues that we can address at other properties, other locations across the city of Evansville, and this doesn't seem to be like a wouldn't seem to me to be a top priority.

I hear what you're saying.

Ma'am, here's what we're gonna do.

Um I mean, sounds like you've had a rough go.

Sounds like you've been doing your best to comply.

Um, if you can't if you can't take care of the house, put a for sale sign in the front yard.

I don't well, I I need to figure it out, but I don't know if I can because of the will thing, and I don't even know where my cousin is anymore.

Like really.

Yeah, and I paid years later, I paid the past-do property taxes and liens on it.

And then I thought it was mine after that, but then I tried to get a loan for it, and the bank ended up not going through with it because they said that they couldn't because it was willed to somebody else.

Okay, well, I don't know what the bank said, um, but you it sounds like you need to go talk to uh go walk down main street, go to go.

Treasure's office.

No, that was a bar association and ask ask them if there's some uh you know a lawyer that can help you figure out what's going on with this, okay?

Um I will say that the assessor's website shows she's the owner.

I've asked in an office here, that's why I said treasurer's office.

Um but I just I don't know why the bank told me that.

You know what I mean?

Because that was years after, too.

Yeah, well.

And our assessor's office is right most of the time, but they they have been um the that's it's possible there's some confusion there.

So what I would say is go to go to Elms War Association, see if there's a volunteer lawyer that can help you.

Um, you know, there's other legal services that that can help you as well.

Um, you know.

Here's what here's probably here's what I'm going to do.

Um, coordinator Dolphin.

Of these list of violations, which ones are you concerned about?

Uh the fact that windows are boarded up makes the house un uninhabitable for human habitation.

Okay.

Windows, what else?

Uh there's issues where the soft it's missing uh protector treatment where some of those soffits falling down and the roof where it's missing shingles.

I didn't see that the roof was terrible, was in bad shape.

Are you saying just some shingles are missing?

That's what I say, Your Honor.

Yep.

Uh missing shingles on the south side of the roof.

Just a few or or a bunch?

Uh one or two.

I can't tell the size of that spot without climbing up on the roof there to see it, but there are shingles missing.

Okay.

Alright ma'am, can you get some can you get somebody?

Can you.

If I gave you 90 days, 120 days, you think you could run some downspouts away from the from the house, the Dodge.

Think you could get a couple shingles up there and cover them up and then uh what'd you say about the door frame?

Or was it just uh just that the windows were born up or which makes it unfit for human habitation.

Okay.

Um windows are more expensive.

I know.

Um, but you know, there is Seamers glass over there that can do replacements.

Yeah.

Okay.

Um, I should be there.

Okay.

So I disagree with a lot of these list of violations.

So what we're gonna say is we're gonna go with you need to get the siding fixed on the side of the house.

Okay.

Get a couple shingles where they're missing, fill those back in, have the downspouts run away from the house.

Sofit and fascia.

Let's get that repaired.

Can you do that, you think, within the next 90 days?

Oh well, I mean, yes.

Yeah, I'll do it.

Okay.

And then as windows, that one's gonna be a little harder.

Yeah.

All of them probably not.

Okay.

Think you could start it within 180 days?

Oh, get my best shot.

Okay.

Well, here's what I would tell you.

If you don't want to do these things, sell the house.

You know?

If you don't want to own anymore because you're tired of messing with it, people will buy this house.

Yeah.

Won't they?

People will buy this house.

So go down to the Ebs of Bar Association.

Ask them for an attorney that will do this on a pro bono basis, see if there's someone that can help you.

Okay.

Make sure the house is in your name.

And then sell it.

If you don't want to own it.

But yeah.

So can you do those things?

And then as it relates to the, as it relates to the windows, you say these are this was complaints, complaint-driven.

Okay.

So you don't need to say you don't need to speak on that.

It's complaint driven.

So, you know, that just means that we need to start seeing some some progress.

I'm afraid.

Because I'm afraid replacing one window.

It'll be busted out the next week because I've been through this.

I replaced every window in that house 15 years ago.

Okay.

So then well, I mean, I we can't just have a board at a house, though.

I mean, I no, I I know.

I know it's just that's one of the things that's kept me too from making that step, is if I replace one, or if I make the front look nice, a kid will come by with a rock.

Okay.

Well, what I would say is on that, I can't, you know, it sounds like you're just exhausted and tired of the house.

You want to get rid of the house, it sounds like.

So I would sell it.

I mean, it can make you some money, and then you're gonna you help you get back on your feet.

Yeah.

Okay.

Yeah.

So as it relates to the windows and the other items I just said, um, I am gonna grant the repair order, okay?

But I mean, these are really simple.

And I understand it's easy for me to say.

Um, you know, in light of the fact you've you've had some troubles.

Um, but sometimes we have to just pull ourselves up from our bootstraps and I know.

I mean, I am or I wouldn't be here right now.

That I don't think they thought I'd come.

Okay.

Well, let's let's get these things repaired.

Let's start on them, okay.

And then, you know, we can we can certainly you you should consider if you don't want to do any of these things and you're not living there, you should I mean, why would you pay taxes on an investment that's getting the windows knocked out and stuff like that?

Because my family owns the property next to it.

My family owns property in the area, I don't even want to say it because I don't want you guys bothering them.

Okay, right.

Well, I don't think they're taking this.

This is a personal, they just when when the complaints come in, they have to they have to go out and look at them.

The home has been like that, and until I called and got nasty, it was just about the grass.

The minute I got nasty, there's 15 things wrong with the house.

Yeah.

Well, um, I mean, some of it needs to be addressed, others is probably not as big a deal, but you know, if they if they have people calling in and complaining, you know, they have to go out and do their job, you know.

Yeah, so but they got phones too.

They have they have right, so alright, well, I'm gonna I'm gonna show it modified, I'm gonna affirm it.

Um but um, you know, here's what I would tell you.

Provide a plan and time frame to when you think you can have these items done to the building commission within the next 30 days.

Can you do that?

How do I contact you?

Call you or they have a card they'll give you.

Okay, there's one sitting there next to you.

Can you email it to who does it have an email address on that?

Um the card?

No.

Wait.

Yeah, there is I, this is Russell's.

I put it in adoption, we'll talk to her after.

Exchange contact information.

Okay.

So coordinator Dolphin will talk to you.

And um, you know, I wish the best of luck, but I would go down and talk to an attorney to get this stuff settled for you, okay?

Thank you.

Best of luck to you.

Thinking we're gonna bring the trap office 27th hour.

For progress.

All right, man.

Why don't you how long do you think it will pro you I need you to provide the planned time frame to the building commission in the next 30 days?

Can you do that?

Yes.

Okay.

Um when we do that, we're gonna give you additional time to um to get these repairs done.

What Miss Josie, wouldn't you say you wanted to bring it back?

August 27th.

So 90 days, ma'am, can you will you be able to have anything done in 90 days?

Absolutely.

Okay.

So we'll show the matter back August the 27th.

Okay.

Soordinator Dolphin's going to speak to you, ma'am.

He's he's pretty reasonable.

So um, you know, maybe there's some things that he can suggest and help you out with, but um, he's he's more he's pretty reasonable.

So, yeah, so thank you.

Thank you.

I see my I see that again.

Yeah, no, just the list of issues.

What's up, Kenny?

Pretty good day.

How's your knee or your hip or your back?

Which what what'd you heard?

Yes.

All of them?

All of them.

You doing all right?

Yeah, no legs.

All right, thank you.

Our next case is for Inspector Lukey on page 15.

This is one that was contained as an evidentiary from the April hearing.

CE number 26E 11.

This is a repair order on a house apartment building located at 411 Southeast Third Street.

Hayden T.

House is the owner.

We have Chad Sanders here on this property.

Report by the department.

The property is occupied and secure.

The yards are acceptable.

The property's been inspected seven times.

There has been no progress on the orders.

There are no active permits on file, and there has been contact with the owner, and we're ready to proceed.

You're ready.

Chad, uh so you've been to this house at 411 Southeast Third Street.

Yeah.

Oh, yes.

Okay.

Um, and have you seen the list of uh items they were asking the building commissioners asking to be repaired?

Yes.

Okay.

Um and do you agree with those items or do you?

Okay.

Um I guess let's go ahead and present the evidence then.

Um and then I'll take a look at it.

But sounds like the manager for the property agrees that the property needs to be repaired.

Uh are you agreeable to the repair order just being entered?

Well, I can't spend the owner funding for a Mr.

Property Manager.

So I don't need to contact with uh Mr.

Lukey and myself.

Uh I've met with numerous contractors.

Uh uh I will say just for the repair order.

If the repair orders entered, it doesn't cost your client anything.

As long as the repairs are done, there's not gonna be it just allows the building commission to seek civil penalties should the repairs not be done.

Well, here's the thing, he's he's uh I don't know that we need to go ahead and present the evidence.

Let's do it.

We can do it properly.

Inspector Lukey, are you familiar with property located at 411 Southeast 3rd Street?

Yes, I am.

Uh is that within the city of Evansville, Indiana?

Yes, it is.

Would you please tell the court what I've just handed you?

Exhibit one is a list of violations for the property, exhibit two or pictures taken of the property, exhibit three order to repair the apartment building.

Uh exhibit four through nine, a package of affidavits of service, and exhibit ten service by publication.

Your honor, we moved to emit these exhibits and evidence.

Any objection, Mr.

Sanders?

No, no.

I'll show the exhibits made without objection.

Inspector Lukey, approximately how many times do you inspected this property?

Uh approximately seven times.

And when was your most recent inspection?

Uh my most recent inspection was uh the 13th of this month.

Okay.

And based off of your inspection on the 13th, what are your concerns with this apartment building?

Uh my concerns are there's uh several areas where uh mortar is missing and some bricks have shifted on the porch.

Uh the uh steps leading to the uh upstairs of the building, uh, the exterior steps leading to the second floor of the building, uh as well as there have been some pieces of wood siding that have been falling off, including one that is uh attached to the clevis head of the uh electrical lines at the rear of the building.

And so is it your testimony that there's wood hanging off the rear of the building?

Yes.

Have you noticed any of the wood and has it any of the wood accumulated on the ground?

Uh I have not seen the wood on the ground myself, but we have received complaints uh as recent as within the last month of wood being in the alley from the building, yes.

Okay.

And you mentioned a clev is head.

What's up, what clebbers head?

Uh club's head is it's usually made of ceramic.

Uh it's attached to the building uh and used as an anchor point for the electrical lines running to the weatherhead then to the electric meter.

And that's hanging off the building currently.

Yes, it is currently hanging from the building, no longer anchoring the wires.

Okay.

And so is that your main concern is the boards falling off and that that clever's head hanging off the building?

Uh that is one of my larger concerns, yes.

And then the other concerns, the loose mortar and bricks on the porch.

Yes, and then the uh rear steps that I mentioned, uh, the rear exterior steps uh a lot of the wood has deteriorated and those are my main issues, yes.

And your seven inspections.

Have you seen any improvement to the property?

Uh no, I have not.

No question further questions, Ronor.

Chad, do you have any questions on any questions?

I don't have any questions for them, though.

I do have I've been texting with the owner of the building.

And if it's helpful, I can put him on the paper phone.

He's available to the main thing.

No, is he is he not is he not local?

No, he's not local.

He lives in California.

Okay.

Um so as of today, if you give me an update on things, we were here back in April at that point in time he was in the process of seeking financing with several different lending institutions to refinance it, and I think it's hash and put it to put into the property.

As early as this week, his loan was approved.

Uh he expects funding from his lending institution within three or four weeks.

And uh the contractor being selected, um, spoke to Mr.

Luke and I believe it was yesterday, right?

Uh yes.

Okay.

Um spoke to him yesterday, and it's his intention to start, I think it's double check the date here.

So, funding is expected to be received within three to four weeks, and then as of now, just contractors have to stay starting on June 17th.

Okay.

Anything else?

Mr.

Lucky here on these email for coming in.

Yes.

This most recent one came in about uh 20 minutes ago.

So okay.

Anything else?

No, that's it.

We've been working diligently ever since we found out there was an issue here.

And uh Nancy can get things lined up and uh now things are starting to move forward.

Okay, anything from the building commission?

Your Honor Okay.

Based on the evidence presented today and testimony from the building commission.

The courts can find the sh that the structure is an impairment structure initially.

And the structure is a public nuisance.

So we will affirm the repair orders.

Thank you for repeating today, best of luck.

Hopefully we can get it get it up and looking good soon.

And your honor, we've heard it back in the line for progress.

Um, sure, let's show it, we'll return it.

Is that gonna be okay with your timing?

Will we have it done by July 23rd?

I'm sorry, what's the when do you think you'll have this completed?

I have no idea.

It's a big project.

What are they gonna do?

I mean they'll rip off all the bricks and put them back on.

All four sides need to work, it's pretty expensive, plus the parking rework on the back side, plus the deck.

Um when I spoke to the contractor, he said if he can start and have good weather and work on the job continuously, he thinks it's at the minimum sixty-day job.

So, you know, assuming he starts in mid-June, there's probably been like mid-August before 60 days is up.

So, we had rain in there and we're not gonna get we're not gonna get rain.

And we're not looking for it to be complete necessarily.

We just want to see that there's some progress being done in that 60 day period.

We we realize he might not finalize the the amount loan for another couple weeks, so we're just looking for progress updates at that time.

We'll return the matter on July 23rd then.

Thank you.

Okay.

Next for Director Dolphin on page 20.

This is a routine matter, CE number 26 CE 30.

This is an affirmative repair order on a house located at 18 East Actle Avenue, as properties, LLC are the owners, and we have John Head here.

Report by the department, the property is vacant, the yards are acceptable, the property's been inspected six times.

There's been some progress.

There is a permit on file, and there's been no contact with the owner, and I'll let Director Dolphin give us report and uh recommendation.

Uh Your Honor, we're making progress.

We got the yard cleaned up.

He's working on the roof right now.

Uh there's some sighting work being done as well.

So I'd just like to bring him back in July 23rd of 2026 for completion.

All right.

So, sir.

If you get it done before July the 23rd, um, get get with coordinator dolphin that way you don't have to come back.

If I didn't see you back in this room again, it would very much please me.

I think we do a good job of much better.

Thank you.

I mean, what I suppose people saw it like this, well, I I did my best.

Alright, well thank you.

You have a good day.

Thank you.

I gotta get on my paper.

Okay.

Okay, next for Rick on page three.

Located at 312 East Florida Street.

The owners are Samuel and Amber Mayo.

Report by the department, the property is vacant and secure.

The yards are not acceptable due to grass and weeds.

The property's been inspected six times.

There's been no progress on the orders.

There are no active permits on file, and there's been no contact with the owners, and we're ready to proceed.

Your Honor, I did not get publication on this hearing.

However, we did get service on the owners.

I would like to go in.

May 21st, 2026.

I got it.

I think it is.

Wow.

John, did you hear that?

Look at that, Cam.

He's just throwing it under the bus to your boss.

Everything.

Alright.

I couldn't hear it off.

I'm familiar with property located at 312 East Florida Street.

Yes, I am.

Is that located from the city of Evansville, Indiana?

Yes, it is.

Would you please tell the court what I just handed you?

Exhibit one is a list of violations for the property.

Exhibit two is 33 photos of the property.

Exhibit three is the order to repair the house.

Shed and garage, and orders, I'm sorry, exhibit four through six is a package of affidavits of service.

Your Honor, we moved to admit these exhibits and evidence.

Have you inspected this property?

I have.

Approximately when did you inspect this property?

But today I looked at it, was the last time.

Okay.

And what's your starting with the house?

What's your concern with the house?

Siding's falling off the house.

Uh, exposing the wood underneath it to the elements.

Uh the roof is in disrepair.

It's got shingles missing, sagging spots, uh, spots where uh it's where the flashing around the chimney is missing.

Uh you got loose bricks and mortar around the chimney.

Uh the soffit and fascia are missing uh protection and uh siding falling off of them.

Um, is there any holes in the on the roof?

There is.

There's uh the hole in the roof, um, about a football size hole in the roof on the west side of the property.

Is there any issues with the chimney?

Uh there is.

Uh Cidney, we have some mortar missing.

You can see where the bricks have shifted in it.

Uh is there any issue with trash and debris?

Uh, there was some trash by the back uh back door when I went today.

The awning is hanging, it's not supported correctly on the back door of the house.

Um, is there any concern with the roof trusses on this?

Yeah, with the sagging of the of the of the roof, you can see it's between the the roof trusses, so it's either structural with the roof trusses, which you can see the decking where the umfit is missing, and it appears to be uh rotted in places.

So we could have issues with the roof structure, whether it's the the trusses or the decking itself.

I'd have to go inside the house and get up in the attic and look at it, but you can see there's issues with it for sure.

Moving to the garage, what's your concern with the garage?

Uh the garage is not in bad shape as the house is, but the garage has some issues with it too.

The door, uh the roll-up door, the walk-in door, and the roof on the garage as well, has some issues.

Is there any issues with the windows on the garage?

I don't remember without looking at the photos.

Okay.

Uh was there any issues with the the windows being rotten or deteriorated?

There was, yeah, it definitely appeared the house itself and the garage appears to have the original windows in it.

Uh, that walking up to it, and you can see the the frames of the windows are just rotted and probably beyond their lifespan.

Okay.

Lastly, the the shed.

What's your concern with the shed?

Uh the shed is rusted.

The door is, I mean it's severely rusted, not just a little bit of rust on it.

Uh the front door is pretty much gone on the shed.

Uh I would say that that little shed, uh, whoever bought it definitely got their money's worth out of it, and it is beyond its lifespan at this point.

So it needs some WD40.

Uh that's some sanding, some painting, uh, probably some spot welding on the floor on the inside of this aluminum shed.

And was this property a fight light complaint?

Uh yes, it was.

Okay.

Yep.

Have you had any other complaints other than the pipe light?

No, that's the only one I know about it.

Once again, this is a case that is uh Inspector Tremell's, but she's out having surgery, so I am not aware of any other complaints on it.

No further questions, Your Honor.

Okay, let me bring this one back August 27th, Your Honor.

Thank you.

All right.

Next case is on page 16.

CE number 25 CE263.

This is an affirmative order on a house and garage located at 1303 MacArthur Drive.

The owner is Angela Harper Coons.

This was taken under advisement at the April 23rd hearing report by the department.

The property is vacant and not secure.

The yards are acceptable.

The property has been inspected ten times.

There's been no progress on the orders.

There are no commits on file, and there has been there has been contact with the possible buyer.

And we're um Ms.

Coons was in this today.

The buyer is still dealing with Chase Bank on getting the price down.

He's buying it as a short sale.

So we're asking that it be returned on August 27th.

2026.

On page 17.

This is for Inspector Allen, also.

Option, yeah, see.

We're going to pass page 17.

We're going to go on to 19.

This is a routine matter.

CE number 25 CE 290.

This is an affirmed repair order at a house located at 1770 Edson Street.

The owners are KTSME.

Report by the department.

The property is tenant occupied and secure.

The yards are not acceptable due to trash.

We uh grass and weeds.

The property's been spanked at eight times.

There's been no progress on the orders.

There are active permits on file, but not for repairs.

There has been no contact with the owner.

And I'll let uh coordinator Dolphin give us report and recommendation.

This property, Your Honor, uh went out and looked at it again today just to check up on it.

Um we did open a we have an open trash case on it, and I just opened a weed case on it today.

Uh but the structure of the house is definitely in disrepair.

Uh we don't have any progress growing.

You have siding and soft falling off the structure.

Um the basement window is missing, uh, or the vent to the crawl space is not not there.

Uh the roof definitely needs some work.

Um the owner of this property, we've dealt with KTSM ink on other properties, and we do not have a very good track record of uh getting repairs made.

Uh so my recommendation is we impose a $500 civil penalty.

Uh try to get the uh owner of this property to come out and make these repairs that need to be made.

So there have been multiple attempts to call the owner.

Yes, Your Honor.

I have spoken to him before about other properties.

Uh I I myself have other properties of his that I'm working with uh to make repairs, and um we're uh making about the same level of progress on the other properties as we are this one.

It's just uh it's hard to get his attention to get him to make these repairs so people have someplace safe and habitable to live in.

Okay, so woeful noncompliance basically is what you're asking for.

Yes, Your Honor.

Okay.

I'll pose a five and our civil appealing for woolful non-compliance.

Return the matter in August for the compliance.

Tell the homeowner if he doesn't start moving, then we'll impose another one.

Maybe we'll double it.

Thank you.

Yes, sir.

And next on page 22, another routine matters CE number 25 CE 301.

This is an affirmed repair order on a house and garage located at 1303 East Indiana Street.

The owners are husband, family trust, LLC.

Report by the department, the property is vacant and secure.

The yards are acceptable.

The property's been inspected seven times.

There's been some progress on the orders.

There are permits on file, and there has been recent contact with an employee of the company.

And I'll let coordinator doffin give us a report and recommendation.

It's another one I looked at today, Your Honor.

Foundation still needs some work and roof needs some work.

But from where we started to where we are now, the structure definitely has come a long ways.

So my recommendation is uh return the matter August 27, 2026 for hopefully completion by then.

Okay, we should return August 27th.

Thank you.

That's all I showed you.

Okay, yeah, I did I go already.

Next for Inspector Lukey.

Oh, okay.

His first case is on page five.

This is an evidentiary matter, CE number 26 CE 70.

This is a vacate and a repair order on a house located at 1263 Madison Avenue.

The owner is Ruth Firestone.

Report by the department, the property is vacant and secure.

The yards are not acceptable due to grass and weeds.

The property's been inspected five times.

There's been no progress, there are no active permits on file, and there's been no contact with the owner, and we're ready to proceed.

Inspector Lukey, are you familiar with the property located at 1263 Madison Avenue?

Yes, I am.

Is that located in the city of Evansville, Indiana?

Yes, it is.

Would you please tell the court what I've just handed you?

Exhibit one, list of violations for the property, exhibit two, pictures taken of the property, exhibit three, order to vacate the house, exhibit four, order to repair the house and garage, exhibit five through eight, a package of affidavits of service.

I've got service on the mortgage holder, not the owner.

So I can reserve it if you'd like.

Let's do it for the July hearing.

That's okay.

On page nine, another evidentiary matter, CE number 26 CE 71.

This is a vacate and a repair order on a house located at 223 Taylor Avenue.

The owner's lighthouse estates LLC.

Are we gonna upgrade this one?

Uh we would like to release this one to upgrade it to a raise order.

Okay, key.

On page 10.

This is one that was contained as an evidentiary from the March 19th hearing.

Um we are also going to ask to reserve this one as there's a new owner that has not been served.

Okay.

This will be until July.

Okay.

Then on page 14.

This is one that was contained as an evidentiary from the April 23rd hearing, 1907 Lincoln Avenue.

Um, we're also this was I think by agreement, Your Honor, we're continuing this to June 25th.

Okay.

Okay, on page 18 for Inspector Lukey, routine matters CE number 25 CE 98.

This is an affirmed repair order on two apartment buildings located at 1143, 1163 Culvert Avenue.

The owners are referendum in Inc.

report by the department.

The buildings are vacant secure.

The yards are acceptable.

There has been progress.

There are active permits on file about to expire, and there has been no recent contact with the owners.

Yes, I actually just spoke with the owner yesterday.

He's informed me they're nearing the completion of the work, but I would just like to return the matter in the June 25th, 2026 hearing.

Next for Inspector Lukey, routine matter on page 23.

CE number is 25 CE48.

This is an affirmed repair order on a house located at 614 Jackson Avenue.

The owners are Ohana Reynolds LLC report by the department.

The property is vacant secure.

The yards are acceptable.

The property's been inspected 13 times.

There has been no progress on the orders.

There are no active permits on for the repairs, and there's been no contact with the owner, and I'll let Inspector Lukey give us report and recommendations.

Yes, there continue to be issues with uh bricks uh falling off on both the porch and the chimney.

There's a large section of the chimney missing.

Uh and I would just recommend to impose the $500 civil penalty for willful noncompliance and return the matter July 23rd, 2026 for progress.

So why are you asking for our civil?

Uh I had asked it to be taken under advisement at the previous hearing because though I have had contact with um the manager of the property and sent him a list of the remaining violations.

Uh none of that has been taken care of and uh this still remains an issue.

Have you had contact with him since then?

Contact with the owner?

Um I have not had contact with the owner.

I have only uh spoken with the property manager manager uh Chad Huffman uh about the property.

So you believe the um owner is willfully not complying or yes, the the last I spoke to Mr.

Huffman, he was in communication with the owner, said that they would address the exterior issues, but any interior issues would not be budgeted for until I believe he said summer or fall.

Uh so he has been in, it is to my knowledge that there has been communication with the owner.

The owner is aware of this, and that there's just not been movement on the property.

Well, it looks like the sighting is fairly new, isn't it?

The siding does look fairly new.

Uh that let's see.

Uh so I see here uh it first appeared in here in March of 2025, uh shortly after that hearing, I believe within three months of that hearing, uh, was when the siding was completed, and since then, there has not been much progress on the orders aside from the siding, the saw fit and fascia, gutters, and um uh replacing the electrical meter on the rear of the house.

Uh but that was all done in 2025.

Nothing has been done since 2025.

Okay.

Um, the civil penalty under advisement.

You know, based on the amount of money it looks like they've spent, looks like they spent a lot of money last year, and they're probably trying to build their money back up to be able to do some of this stuff.

And while I recognize that it may not be being completed as quickly as you would like, it looks like, you know, the there's still work being done, so I'd hate to find them $500 when it looks like at least within the last year they've been complying.

Is that fair?

Your Honor, if I may, I think part of the concern with the $500 civil penalties is the chimneys obviously falling apart, and that raises an issue and concern for danger to passer buys.

You know, I I think Inspector Lukey testified that there continue to be bricks falling onto the onto the roof from the chimney, and so that that remains a concern.

Let me see that.

Okay, yeah, that changes things.

Um there's an active kind of danger on the property, is that what you're saying?

Yes, sir.

And Inspector, look, how close is the neighborhood property?

Is it fairly close?

Uh fairly close, I'd say ten feet or less.

Okay.

Um, close a five-hour civil penalty for Wokalon Compliance on the pairs have not been completed.

Thank you, Ronald.

Thank you.

Inspector Lukey's next case is on page 24.

Routine matters CE number 24, CE 141.

Firm repair order on a house in East Garage, located at 4411 Crassville Road.

Owner is Benny D.

Trent.

Report by the department, the property is vacant and secure, the yards are acceptable.

Property's been inspected 10 times.

There has been great progress.

There are no active permits on file.

There has been no contact with the new owner.

And I'll let Inspector Lukey give us report and recommendation.

Um, the progress on the house has gone great.

They just have a few items on the garage to complete, so I'd like to release the matter to voluntary compliance.

Page 25, routine matters CE number 25 CE 133, affirmed repair order on a house and garage, located at 1612, 1614 South Lynwood Avenue.

Owner is John Scales.

Report by the department.

The property appears to be occupied and not secure.

The yards are not acceptable due to trash and debris.

The property's been inspected eight times.

There's been progress without permits, but there are permits on file without proper permits.

And there's been no contact with the owner, and I'll let Inspector Lukey give his report and recommendation.

Yes, my recommendation is just to uh impose a $500 civil penalty for willful noncompliance and return the matter June 25th, 2026 for progress.

Uh the reasoning behind the civil penalty is because he continues what little work he does perform, he continues to do it without permits, though he has been told multiple times to pull permits for the work.

Despite multiple warnings, all right.

Return the matter.

So we return the matter.

Yes, sir.

Uh June 25th, 210 return, June the 25th.

Next on page 27, routine matter, CE number 25 CE 161.

Affirmed repair order on a house located at 501 East Mulberry Street.

The owner is James McNary.

Report by the department, the property is occupied and secured.

The yards are acceptable.

The property's been inspected nine times.

There's been some progress on the orders.

There are no active permits on file, and there has been contact with the owner.

And I'll let Spectre Luke give us a report and recommendation.

Yes, he has made some progress with finishing the porch as well as started to wrap one side of the house to prepare it for siding.

He's currently dealing with a uh family matter out of town.

So I would just like to return the matter August 27, 2026 for progress.

Alright, show the matter return August 27th, thank you.

Inspector Wiki's next case is on page 28.

Routine matter, CE number 25 CEO 74.

This is an affirmed repair order on a house located at 1421 Parrot Street.

The owner is Christine M.

Barnhart.

Your Honor, we've continued this matter to July 23rd by agreement.

Show the matter return July 23rd.

Thank you.

All right.

And then next for Inspector Lukey.

On page 29, routine matters CE number 25 CE 127.

This is an affirmed repair order on the garage located at 911 East Powell Avenue.

Kenneth Von Parkman is the owner.

Report by the department.

The property is vacant and secure.

The yards are acceptable.

The property's been inspected nine times.

There's been some progress on the repairs.

There are no active permits on file for the repairs.

And there's been no contact with the owner.

I'll let Spector Bukey give us a report and recommendation.

Show the matter return July 23rd.

Thank you.

That's all I showed for Inspector Vicky.

Next for Inspector Allen.

On page one, thanks.

We have a new owner as of May 11th.

All right.

We serve them for the July hearing.

We'll show it continued to July.

23rd.

Then on page 6.

This is an evidentiary matter.

CE number 26 CE 72.

This was an emergency vacate that was issued due to uh leaking raw sewage at a property at 916 West Missouri Street.

The owner is Charles Worman Jr.

Report by the department on April 29th, 2026.

Buzz Plumbing investigated the plumbing and determined the sewage pushing into the neighbor's yard was not coming from 916 West Missouri Street.

So we're going to release this matter.

Show release.

Then on page 7.

Evidentiary matters CE number 26E 74.

This is a vacate and a raised order on a house located at 1110 1112 East Nagley Avenue.

The owner is Cheryl Bice LLC.

We did receive a call from them today.

We did agree to continue this out until June 25th to allow them time to do a plan and time frame.

Show return until June 25th.

On page 8.

This is also another one that we're going to continue till June to allow the contract purchaser get a deed or contract signed by the other person.

Alright, show continue to June.

Next on pages 12 and 13.

This is one that was continued as an evidentiary at the March 19th hearing.

CE number 24 CE 113.

This is an upgrade from a repair order to a raise order on a house or garage located at 1516 East Indiana Street.

The owners are Kaja Holdings 2 LLC.

Your Honor, this was sold at uh tax auction, and so we're going to continue it to December 17 to allow the tax purchaser time to uh gain title to the property.

Alright, so we'll continue to December.

What was it?

December 20, December 17th, 22th.

Yes, Your Honor.

Okay, next, on page 17.

This is a routine matter.

CE number 25 CE 138.

This is an affirmed repair order on a house located at 1429 South Parker Avenue.

The owner is David Schrode report by the department.

The house is vacant and secure.

The yards are acceptable.

The property's been inspected 11 times.

There's been good progress.

There are permits on file, and there's been no contact with the owner.

And I'll let Inspector Allen give a report and recommendations.

Your Honor, this is um, he's doing great work.

He's uh got almost all the new vinyl siding uh put up, and uh he's done some facial and software repairs as well.

So I'd just like to return the matter July 23rd for an update and hopefully completion.

Lovely, shall it return July 23rd?

On page 26, routine matter, CE number 23 CE 223.

This is a firm repair order on a house and garage located at 1108 West Maryland Street.

The owner is Chad Frazier report by the department.

The house is occupied secure, the yards are acceptable.

The property's been inspected 23 times.

There has been progress on the orders.

There are no permits on file, and there's been no contact with the owner.

And I'll let Spector Allen get the report and recommendation.

Uh, Your Honor, they are making uh good progress.

They've got uh they've painted the window sills or window frames and door frames, they've painted the garage, uh, so they are making uh a good attempt.

So we'd just like to return the matter on June 25th for progress.

Inspector Allen, look at you working with these folks.

It'll be proud.

I try.

Show return on June 25th, thank you.

On page 30, a routine matter, CE number 25 CE 246, confirmed repair order on a house located at 1926 South Road Bank Road.

The owner is Goldie Gurley.

Report by the department, the house is vacant secure, the yards are not acceptable due to weeds and grass.

The property's been inspected eight times.

There's been no progress on the orders.

There are no permits on file, and there's been no contact with the owner.

And I'll let Inspector Allen give her record recommendations.

And Your Honor, this is when Mrs.

Or Mrs.

Gorley is um in hospice care.

Um I've been attempting to contact her brother, but no response.

So given everything they're going through, I'd just like to we kept we had a uh civil penalty and advisement.

Just keep it under advisement, and we'll turn it in June.

All right, we'll show the civil penalty under advisement return the matter on June 23th person.

Okay.

On page 31, a routine matter, CE number 26 CE12.

This is an affirmed repair order on a house located at 508 South Rosenberger Avenue.

The owner is Roger D.

Dant report by the department.

The house is occupied and secure.

The yards are acceptable.

The property property has been inspected eight times.

There's been some progress on the orders.

There are permits on file, and there's been no contact with the owner.

And I'll let Inspector Allen give her a report recommendation.

Uh yes.

They got a new roof on, which is great.

Uh, this is a disabled veteran.

He's got a lot of uh good people in his corner there helping him out.

Um still need some gutters and forch overhang replacement, but I'd just like to give him a little more time.

So I'd like to return the matter July 23rd for progress.

See, he's a veteran.

Yeah, disabled veteran.

Alright, we'll show them at a return.

Um July.

Let's return it in as well as the first thing.

Okay.

So we turn it to August.

August 27th.

Okay.

And that's how I show for Inspector Allen.

Thank you.

And now for Inspector Knox.

Save the question, okay.

Just glad he's awake.

No storms today, so you know.

For inspector Knox on page two.

This is an evidentiary.

CE number is 25 CE41.

This is an upgrade for a property located at 4405 Pickest Road.

The vacate on a house and a raise on a house and a shed.

This property.

Owner is Linda Bell.

Report by the department.

The property is vacant and secure.

The yards are acceptable.

The property's been inspected ten times.

There's been no progress on the orders.

There are no permits on file.

And there's been contact with the owner who has been in the office several times, complaining about the case.

And we have good service.

Yes.

Inspector Knox.

Are you familiar with property located at 4405 Thickest Road?

Yes, yeah.

Is that located from the City of Evansville, Indiana?

Yes, it is.

Would you please tell the hearing officer what I've just handed you?

Exhibit one, a list of violations for the property.

Exhibit two, 106 pictures taken on the property.

Exhibit three to order to vacate house in three sheds.

Exhibit four to order to raise house and one shed.

Exhibit five title search for the property.

Exhibits six through seven, a package of affidavits of service.

Your Honor, we move to admit these exhibits and evidence.

Alright, so the exhibits submitted.

Thank you.

Inspector Knox, starting with the house, what's your your concern with this property?

Well, uh, I've been out there ten times for my inspections over the past couple years.

Um we did have a uh interior inspection.

There was uh at that time, there was damage to the ceilings.

Uh there wasn't a back wall.

Uh there wasn't any flooring uh at that time.

That's on the interior.

It was just bad condition all the way around.

And do you recall when you did the interior inspection?

Oh, so clear the date here.

Uh March.

Was that March 11th of this year?

Okay.

And I'm handing you the photos from March 11th of 2026.

Starting with the the top right photo, what is that depicting?

Okay.

This is uh correct here.

My boss took the pictures, but this should be with the interior wall or the walls and the uh I think this is in the kitchen right here.

Yes.

Uh so I I took those photos with Kimmy.

Uh we did a joint inspection of this property.

Uh the interior showing uh severe signs of uh attempted repair.

Uh a lot of the studs didn't come all the way before they would meet together to transfer the load.

Probably down at the foundation.

Uh there was rot in the back of the house uh in the bathroom area.

Speaking with the daughter when we went out there, she stated that her father had done some of the work and some of the work was done by maybe her brother.

She wasn't sure.

From what we could see when we went out there, they were gonna have to almost completely gut the house.

We've been out there to do repairs, and it's kind of the same story we keep getting is oh we're gonna fix this, we're gonna take care of this, and instead of starting from trash, they're trying to patch together some of the rotted material with new material, uh, making the house even more unsafe each time.

I know uh Miss Bell approached us this spring and talked about squatters being in the house.

Uh they had removed all the copper wiring and stuff from the house.

That was after our last inspection, so we've not seen the current condition, but based off what she's told us, it's it's worse now than it was when we went out uh from the current condition when or from the condition when we went out and did our interior inspection of it.

Um it's definitely not safe for to have the electricity running through there.

There was exposed wires of rotted wood.

Uh, not a good uh not a good mixture to have together in a in a house like that, especially with the amount of rain and stuff we have right now.

Inspector Knox, is there any issues with the exterior of the house on this property?

Uh yes, the uh the siding that's come off is coming off the sides of the walls of the house.

There's cracks in the found in the foundation, uh, there's uh shed out there that's that's uh damaged and falling apart.

Um they put a new tin roof on the house.

I'm not sure it was put put on properly, but it's on.

Was any permits uh pulled to redo the roof?

Uh no, not that I saw it okay.

So the the tin roof that's currently on there that was put on without permits.

Right.

Uh what's your what's your concern with the sheds?

There's three sheds, is that correct?

Well, there's two new sheds they put up and the ones in the sheds in the back of the house.

Uh you can clearly see the damage that's on there.

Uh when you say that you can clearly see the damage, what damage your roof and the walls.

Okay, so there's damage to the the roof and the wall and the one shed.

You you recall which shed that is it's uh directly in the back of the house.

Okay.

Uh moving to the the next shed, what's the concern with that one?

Same thing.

The walls are damaged, the wood is rotted out.

So and the third shed.

The third shed we gotta mix it with the two new sheds out there, because there's only really uh two sheds that's really damaged.

Okay.

And the main concern really with this property is the house and the condition of the interior.

Correct.

Have you had any neighbor complaints on this property?

Uh yes.

How many neighbor complaints have you had?

Uh the lady uh that called in, I would not have talked to her.

That's the only complaint that has just for the neighbors in the back of the back of the property.

It's like they have like uh joint properties.

Yeah, one shared driveway.

She lived behind this property.

And you've had multiple complaints from her correct.

Have you had any other neighbor complaints?

No.

When you recall when the first when was the first time you inspected this property?

February 2nd.

I'm sorry, February 23rd or 23.

And have you seen any real progress in the property since that time?

No, just that roof we put on.

And the interior, the property itself is deteriorated from your first inspection.

Okay.

No further questions.

Your Honor.

Inspector Hox, have you not reviewed the inside of this property since since March?

That's correct.

We haven't been able to get in the interior.

Mrs.

Bell or Miss Bell.

She's been down here several times yelling and screaming and uh raising all kinds of cane, and she always said we won't get inside the house.

Oh, so she won't let you in.

Correct.

I mean, I can see that there's trash outside.

I can see that it looks like the it appears as though the roof was improperly done.

I guess some of the other pictures aren't as clear.

Yeah.

I mean, I see it looks like some foundational issues.

Looks like one of the sheds are brand new.

They have two brand new sheds out front on the front of the property.

And one report that came to me complained was that they're supposed to be living in the sheds.

One who?

A one report?

Yeah, one of the complaints.

So they were living in the sheds.

But I could never see any evidence of anybody.

She claimed she was living in an apartment.

Her son is at.

But he's been he's been in prison since uh January or February.

And according to the neighbor, she has to move because his lease is about up.

And she was living where he's at without uh anyone knowing that she's staying there.

And her intent, according to the neighbor, was she's gonna move backward to this house, you're asking this property be raised?

Yes.

But her daughter also wants it raised, but the argument on it not being raised is Mrs.

Bell.

Looks like they've done interior work to at least and at least in August or um March they had done some interior work.

Looks like they mudded and sanded the ceiling.

Um this was uh the picture we we took, that was what we saw when our first inspection on the interior.

That's what we've seen.

That's where do you see the foundational issues other than a little bit of the cracks?

It's on the uh east wall, east foundation concrete blocks.

Let's see that these are the most recent photos.

Can you show where they are?

It's right here.

Is this what you're referring to?

Yes, your Honor on page three of the photos from May 19th.

Yeah, the top um left corner, yeah.

Okay, I got a you haven't got the walking.

Cracks and concrete foundation blocks on the left down the left-hand side.

Page three.

He's on that, but he's got to see the pictures.

Can I approach and show you?

Yeah.

You're not talking like that kind of crack, are you?

What's what is that?

Looks like somebody had to knock that out.

Well, uh, figures that.

Yeah.

That's possible to do it.

Someone could have hit it.

It's just right above it.

Yeah, I see that crack, but that's it.

That right there.

That's the other one.

Yeah.

No, I just saying it doesn't look like it's.

You know what I mean?

Like, yeah, that's just the that certainly is a crack, but it doesn't look like anything that's messing with the foundation or messing with the.

I just flag it with a cracks, I see in the found one of the hungry blocks.

Uh-huh.

Uh, I'm not saying it's good as dent, but that's where it's got uh two or two point three feet in or something like that's that matters so.

So what's the basis for why you think it should be raised?

Uh because of condition of what I've seen on the inside of the interior, but it's only for it.

Uh it's just uh uh, and what pictures are you referring to on the inside?

These?

So what's the name of the I can't even see in that I can't see.

This is bad, that's just a bad picture.

This is down at the studs?

Yes.

Can I order an on-site?

I think I'm gonna order an on-site inspection or like an interior inspection of this property.

And then I'll so uh what I'm gonna do uh based on the evidence, I'm gonna order uh interior inspection of the property with the next thirty days and then um I'll take my I'll make my ruling at that time take it under advisement.

Come in today to explain it to you, her side of the case.

Sure.

I mean she'd been out there or here, several times.

Throwing a fit screaming in yellow.

And uh I was coming out of the bath when she stopped me in the hallway, listening to her, and uh, so can she be here today?

Come to her side of the story, and then maybe she gets her wish.

Um it does look great, but it's continued to get some additional photographs.

Right, thank you.