Coon Rapids declares house uninhabitable, takes steps to tear it down

In a rare move, the city of Coon Rapids has declared a dilapidated, split-level suburban a hazard and could seek a court order to tear it down.

The City Council approved the resolution at its Oct. 21 meeting after repeated attempts to contact the listed owner failed. The home on the 9900 block of Linnet St. appears to be abandoned and is full of old household items and debris that is knee-deep in some spots, said Coon Rapids Chief Building Official Gregory Brady. It's been declared uninhabitable by the city.

"It is an unusual last resort from our standpoint. It's been a problem property for two years," Brady said.

Brady, who came to Coon Rapids from Apple Valley City Hall two years ago, said it's only the second house for which he's had to pursue a possible teardown in his 20-year career.

The 1,300-square-foot house was built in 1978. The city believes the person listed in property records, David Siusta, has walked away from it with possessions still inside. Brady said there doesn't appear to be a mortgage on the property. Siusta could not be reached for comment. The property also has delinquent property taxes, according to county records. Neighbors say the home has been vacant for as long as six years. Three nearby neighbors said they support the city's efforts to tear it down.

The home first came onto the city's radar in 2011 during a police call. The city cited the residence for code violations, and ordered that excessive clutter be removed from inside the home.

Brady said hallways and stairways were filled with clutter possibly impeding access in an emergency. It also created a fire hazard.

The city got no response.

In April 2014, the house was burglarized. When police and later city officials arrived, they found the home in a "severe state of disrepair." Part of the roof had collapsed. The ceiling was water damaged, windows were broken and then boarded up with plywood and the house remained filled with clutter.

The owner did not respond to four letters sent in June, July, September and October.

The clock is now ticking. The owner has 20 days from the City Council action to respond. Then the city's attorney will file a case in Anoka County District Court to move forward with possible demolition or other fixes. Those costs would be assessed to the property.

"We will petition the court to temporarily secure the property, solve the problems and then back out," Brady said. "We would seek the advice of contractors and other people. We don't know what's wrong with it."

"We want to engage the property owner to fix the problems on their own. We don't want to do this. It's a lot of work. If we can avoid it we most certainly will," Brady said.

But the house has become a safety hazard, he said, and an eyesore in an otherwise tidy neighborhood.

"The people in the neighborhood are affected by the condition of that property," he said. "All the other homes in the neighborhood are kept up and maintained. We as a city need to do something. It's beyond the pale."