Housing

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0><tr> <td valign="top" rowspan="2" width=210 BGCOLOR="#99CC99" TEXT="#080000" bgproperties="fixed" background="03f8dfc3.jpg"> <bR> </td> <td valign="top" colspan=2 height=82 BGCOLOR="#CCCC99" TEXT="#080000" bgproperties="fixed" background="0408dfe1esnpes.jpg"> <div> <B>Housing</B></div> <div> </div> </td> </tr><tr> <td valign="top" height=398 colspan=2 BGCOLOR="#CCCC99" TEXT="#080000" bgproperties="fixed" background="0408dfc3.jpg"> <div> <B>3/14/09</B>. Mike, et alii,  I will plan to attend the Weed and Seed meeting.  Judy and I will be in Wisconsin the week of the trustees' meeting, however, nor will I have time to call a Housing Committee meting until later--in April.</div> <bR> <div> On housing, howevr, I have been in contact with O'Connell at the City and will send him our housing list.  He says our local inspector now is Bill Lisles (333-3948).  Continuing my attempt to raise interest in housing issues by checking on specific houses--some of you try to drive by 432 Otterbein.   It is on our list, a red brick two story with a slate roof that is seriously and rapidly deteriorating.  I got it boarded up some time ago, but in the last week or so someone tore off the boarding on the front door, probably by coming in the rear basement window that is open.  I reported it to O'Connell.  While it was open I walked trough the house.  There are three or four places where you can see the sky through the roof; previous attempts to put buckets under the leaks; sodden insulation and considerable plaster damage.         The MCTreasurer web site lists Sylvester Ballard as the owner; he also owns 1725 Benson on my block, and about 70 other properties in Dayton, including about a dozen in and around the Triangle.  432 Otterbein was a well built house and perhaps is still salvageable, but is rapidly going beyond the point of no return.  Question:   can anything be done to make Ballard--and other such--own up to their maintenance responsibilities and stop dragging down neighborhood property values?  He owes roughly $36K in back taxes just on the dozen properties in and around the Triangle.  Maybe this would be a case on which we could ask the University Row group to consult.</div> <bR> <div> Ted</div> </td> </tr></table></body>