McComb officials are moving forward with the demolition of dilapidated buildings after holding a hearing to give the owners a chance to defend why the houses should be left alone.
The board approved the demolitions in a 5-0 vote with selectmen Ronnie Brock, Michael Cameron, Devante Johnson, Ted Tullos and Shawn Williams in favor. Selectman Donovan Hill was absent.
The board had a list of 11 properties to be demolished, including 521 24th St., 812 13th St., 814 13th St., 4076 Highway 51, 1006 Pershing St., 420 Minnesota Ave., 345 N. Cherry St., 709 4th St., 610 Howe St., 501 St. Augustine Ave. and 1204 Nelson Ave.
Zoning Director Henry Green asked selectmen to decide the fate of four properties — 917 N. James Ave., 345 N. Cherry St., 1058 Martin Luther King Drive and 420 Minnesota Ave.
The city has $40,000 allotted for the demolitions, and Cameron asked Green what happens if the bids, which should be in by mid-February, come in over budget, and Green said he would demolish fewer homes.
Green asked the city to give Wells Fargo, which controls the mortgage of 917 N. James Ave., 60 days to either repair the house or demolish it after bank officials said the home’s foreclosure was in forbearance.
“They asked for 60 days because the property owner asked for a forbearance due to the pandemic, and the house was already foreclosed on, but once she did that, it held up what they could do to the property. They can’t foreclose on it,” Green said. “The house still has a $90,000 mortgage on it, so I thought it was a good idea to get them involved.”
Tullos opposed leniency.
“For two years, this has been in terrible shape. It is rat-infested and the neigh-borhood wants this removed, so I do not want to give 60 days,” he said.
Cameron agreed.
“What if that house was next to yours ... my house? The guy from Wells Fargo, I want to know what he would do if that house was next to his house and has been sitting there for two years?” he said. “I don’t know what is going on, but 60 days is too long.”
Cameron made a motion to give just 30 days, but board attorney Angela Cockerham said neither the bank nor the city could do anything with the property as long as it is under forbearance.
The board voted 4-1 to give Wells Fargo 30 days to decide what to do with the property. Johnson, Cameron, Tullos and Williams voted in favor, while Brock opposed.
Green also asked for no extension to be given to the property at 345 N. Cherry St., and the board agreed to leave it on the demolition list.
Green also told the board that he decided to take 1058 Martin Luther King Drive off of the demolition list after speaking with the owner. But he said the building would be monitored for code violations and could be up for demolition again if the property is not put in order.
Green also noted that the owner of the house at 420 Minnesota Ave., emailed him about it. Green said he asked the owner to fix the home last year.
Johnson pulled up a photo of the building when Cameron asked what condition was in, and Cameron said, “he’s not repairing that.”
