Unrepaired Homes From the Flood Will Get "Notice of Violation" - KXNet - Bismarck/Minot/Williston/Dickinson

Unrepaired Homes From the Flood Will Get "Notice of Violation"

A county worker wants to put the 2011 Missouri River flood behind him by cleaning up the damaged buildings still standing.

A Burleigh county official says it's been about a year and a half since the water has receded, and several homes have still not been repaired, or they've been left to rot.

Building official, Ray Ziegler will be sending out "notices of violations" to around a dozen homeowners along South 12 street, Sibley Drive, and Hogue Island areas to name a few.

A residential plans examiner did exterior inspections of the homes which have not been repaired and appear vacant.

Ziegler says he just wants the homeowners to let him know how much time they need or what's going on with the properties, so that everyone can get some closure on the flood.

"It's always tough and I heard earlier too, maybe they just don't have the money to do anything with it, and I sympathize with that, but yet we can't just let it go on and on and on, keep deteriorating. These are attractants to rodents, skunks and whatever else can go on, it does not help the neighborhood as far as property values and things like that also." says Ray Ziegler/Building Official.

If homeowners do nothing after 30 days of receiving a notice of violation, the County may go in, clean up the property, and charge it to the owner's property taxes.

If they don't pay property taxes, as a last resort, the county will take possession of the property, and possibly condemn and demolish it.