Tuesday, May 21, 2013

Latest local news, weather, high school sports in the Rio Grande Valley

Abandoned house causes problems for Raymondville neighborhood
Posted: 09.05.2012 at 11:25 PM
0
Slideshow
Photo:

The grass isn't always greener on the other side.

And neighbors on Fourth Street in Raymondville know that for a fact.

An abandoned house in the neighborhood is causing a lot of problems for neighbors, yet city officials say their hands are tied.

"It's an issue,” said disgruntled neighbor Bano Cavazos. “They need to do something with it soon."

Cavazos has lived in his home for almost seven years now.

But for the past two and a half years, he's been battling against problems caused by the abandoned house next door.

He said it's a breeding ground for insects, rodents, and even a target for vandalism.

"We've already had an issue where some guys came in and they broke this window and they broke those other windows," said Cavazos. "So we're like, ‘well, what's next,’ you know. They're going to start coming in here and start using it as a drug house."

Cavazos says now he's also had rodent problems at his house, and so bad that it will cost him up to $8,000 just to get all the damages fixed.

"There's been numerous complaints,” said Cavazos. “I've gone over to the city officials and talked to them personally. I sat down with the city manager and told him about this issue. And again, it goes back to legal actions."

And according to Raymondville City Code Enforcer Andres Chavez, legal action is what the city plans to do next.

But as far as bulldozing the house, the city says their hands are tied due to a recent supreme court ruling called Stewart vs. The City of Dallas.

This means if a city eliminates a home and the owner believes the home had some monetary value, the city could be ordered to pay the owner the full cost of the home.

And that's a chance the city Raymondville does not want to take.

"I understand there's a frustration with the neighbors,” said Chavez. “We'll do as much as we can, especially with the condition and the way the property is."

The city admits to giving the owners of the abandoned property multiple extensions to fix the house.

However, they say no more.

As of now, it's a waiting game to see when the city attorney can take legal action against the homeowners.

But it still leaves neighbors frustrated, waiting for something to be done, if anything at all.

Popular Stories
Thumbnail
Man burns wife with iron during heated argument
Brianna Vela  |  Yesterday at 8:04 PM  |  12 comments
Thumbnail
Alamo man listed as fugitive for sexually abusing child
Action 4 News Staff  |  Today at 10:25 AM  |  9 comments
Thumbnail
Teen battles synthetic marijuana side effects
Joey Horta  |  Yesterday at 6:22 PM  |  12 comments
Follow Valley Central
Get news and weather notifications on your phone by downloading the iPhone or Android app below
Sign up to get alerts and updates for breaking news, severe weather, and deals:
submit
ADVERTISEMENT
Special Features
Action 4 News Mobile App
Download the Action 4 News mobile app for iPhone or Android.
Food 4 Thought Page
Keep It Clean! Food 4 Thought airs every Wednesday night at 10 pm!
Submit A News Tip
Got a news tip? Submit it directly to Action 4 News!
Action 4 Sunrise
Wake up to Action 4 Sunrise Monday through Friday
ADVERTISEMENT