Land Bank demolishes property on Miami Avenue

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SIDNEY – The property at 227-231 S. Miami Ave. in Sidney has been demolished, Director Doug Ahlers said during Tuesday’s monthly meeting of the Shelby County Land Reutilization Corp.

“It will make that area a lot nicer,” Ahlers said. “It was just really a bad situation for the neighbors there so we’re glad that one’s gone.”

The Shelby County Land Bank has several other properties in various stages of foreclosure that it is working to acquire.

One house, a property on Park Street in Sidney that is owned by Gary Waters, appears to have an unauthorized person living in it.

“Somebody’s living in there who claims to be Gary Waters’ grandson,” Treasurer John Coffield said, “but we finally got ahold of Gary Waters, who lives down in Kentucky, and says he’s not my grandson.”

The Land Bank is getting close to acquiring properties at 716 E. Court St. in Sidney and 429 E. Main St. in Port Jefferson, both of which will be demolished once the Land Bank receives deeds for the properties.

Ahlers was working with Nicole Trudell to get a deed in lieu of foreclosure for her property at 751 State Route 589 in Maplewood. However, she stopped communicating with him so Ahlers said he’s back to working through the foreclosure process. Potential buyers have expressed interest in the property.

Other properties will be transferred to local governments once deeds are acquired.

The Land Bank is working to get the deed for a property on North Main Street in Jackson Center that is owned by Timothy Bell. It is located next to a lot where the village of Jackson Center keeps its utility vehicles and will be transferred to the village.

A property in Plattsville owned by Viola Ralston will be transferred to the Green Township trustees. The trustees have a parcel directly next to it and already mow the area.

Ahlers also has continued to work with the Ohio History Connection to transfer a deed for a property in Lockington that the Land Bank owns. He has signed and delivered the deed, he said.

“Their attorney moves very slowly and methodically,” Ahlers said.

In new business, Ahlers said he expects the cost of mowing lots owned by the Land Bank to increase slightly when a bid is received. The Land Bank currently has a contract for $25 per lot with Tom’s Lawn & Landscape.

Coffield reported that the Land Bank wrote no checks and had no revenue in January. Its balance remained $464,325.

Without certainty of state funding, Ahlers said he’s curtailed his hours to keep expenses down.

“We’ll keep expenses down as much as we can, but we still have work to do,” he said. “There’s still going to be work to do.”

The Land Bank’s next meeting is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. March 3 in the County Annex.

By Kyle Shaner

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Reach this writer at [email protected] or 937-538-4824.

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