Blight Beat: Ypsilanti Township church could face litigation over vacant home
Ypsilanti Township could soon take legal action against a church if it doesn’t address a blighted home on its property.
At its Aug. 26 meeting, the Ypsilanti Township Board of Trustees unanimously approved staff's request to ask a judge, if necessary, to order the Word of Deliverance Church to bring the home up to code or demolish it.
The house, at 1775 Holmes Road, previously served as the church’s parsonage but has sat vacant for more than 10 years.
Township Building Director Ron Fulton told the Board that the township first issued a notice of code violations in February 2012. He said the township has continued to work with the church since then to get the building brought up to code, but numerous issues remain.
Ypsilanti Township could take legal action against a church that is slow to repair a long-vacant home it owns on Holmes Road.
Tom Perkins | For AnnArbor.com
“We've given them every possibility to bring the building up to code,” Fulton said. “I’m not speaking ill of them, but they need to maintain the same responsibly as everyone else in the community. They have great intentions, but great intentions don’t take it off of our hit list.”
Among other issues, the roof leaked for so long that the plaster ceiling and walls have disintegrated, though Fulton said the roof was recently repaired.
On the exterior, the structure’s brick facade has begun to crumble and some of the windows are broken. Fulton said the house has also attracted vandals, people have been discovered living in it and people have generally been “making a mess and tearing it up.”
The home sits on the northwest corner of the intersection of Holmes and Midway Boulevard, which is opposite from the former Willow Run High School.
“We have worked with them in every way we know how to and they are continuing to make progress, albeit at a snail’s pace,” Fulton said.
“We’re asking for authorization (to take legal action) if necessary. We hope we won't have to make it to ‘if necessary.'"
He said the church faces a challenge because its congregation is small and the repairs are costly. Township records show Word of Deliverance purchased the home in 1992 for $100,000.
Comments
David Wanner
Wed, Aug 28, 2013 : 5:41 p.m.
House has old history of being the home that the Nuns lived in for St. Alexis church.
jns131
Tue, Aug 27, 2013 : 7:38 p.m.
I always wondered about that house. Drive by and wonder what its history is. So sad to see it is not being kept up. If I had the money? I would. Wow.
Nicholas Urfe
Tue, Aug 27, 2013 : 4:33 p.m.
Why should a church be exempt from the laws that govern everyone else? Why should a church not be forced to pay taxes on houses they own?
IVote
Wed, Aug 28, 2013 : 1:02 p.m.
They don't even pay taxes on big McMansion parson's home. They keep gobbling up more private space so that the rest of property owners have to make up the difference. What's going to happen when they own most or all of the township property? I prob don't have to worry due to my age, but future generation, good luck. UM is a prime example, gobbling up the tax paying property and taking it off tax rolls. Ann arbor already experiencing the pain.
beardown
Tue, Aug 27, 2013 : 8:54 p.m.
"Sometimes this requires setting other things aside to take care of the community." So blighting a neighborhood is "setting other things aside to take care of the community?" They are no different than any other non profit. And while they cannot be taxed, they can be hit with assessments and fines. Hopefully soon the township will start hitting them with these fees for the failure in taking care of their role in this community.
Mike
Tue, Aug 27, 2013 : 5:41 p.m.
Your question is something else. One of the main reason that churches even exist is due to the tax free status that they have. Through this status they are able to help many people through hunger, shelters, clothing, just to name a few. My churches today are seeing the same financial issues that we are seeing. The contributions are down during hard times, the churches are trying to continue the charitable assistant they have. Sometimes this requires setting other things aside to take care of the community.
treetowncartel
Tue, Aug 27, 2013 : 4:24 p.m.
They should sell it to Beal
Catherine Wright
Thu, Aug 29, 2013 : 4:26 p.m.
hehehehe=)
Tom Perkins
Tue, Aug 27, 2013 : 3:40 p.m.
I didn't realize Forest turned into Midway south of Holmes. Thanks for pointing it out.
Mike
Tue, Aug 27, 2013 : 2 p.m.
Forest and Holmes run parallel and never meet. Midway crosses Holmes east of this building. As difficult as it is to maintain a building in this economic atmosphere, it is necessary to keep blight out of the area. There are much worse buildings in the township that they seem not to notice though. I wonder if a compromise of cleaning the area, properly securing the building to keep people safe would buy time for the church to refurbish this building.
obviouscomment
Tue, Aug 27, 2013 : 1:33 p.m.
Such a nice house...if they don't want to use it they should sell it.
Ann English
Tue, Aug 27, 2013 : 11:56 a.m.
You mean the intersection of Midway Boulevard and Holmes; Forest turns into Midway at its east end.
OLDTIMER3
Tue, Aug 27, 2013 : 10:58 a.m.
They are trying to bring it up to code. While in A2 a woman has been building on her house for 20 plus tears an nothing is done about it there. Leave the church owned home alone.
beardown
Tue, Aug 27, 2013 : 8:51 p.m.
Why does a church get a free pass at following the rules everyone else has to? Its bad enough that they don't pay taxes, but now they are also a blight on the community? If anything, this failure to work with their community really makes you wonder about the mission of the church or its leaders.
BenWoodruff
Tue, Aug 27, 2013 : 2:30 p.m.
Why, they don't pay taxes on church owned property. Don't you think at a minimum that have a responsibility to maintain the property?
Nicholas Urfe
Tue, Aug 27, 2013 : 2:04 p.m.
You mean the couple who had a pair of busybody lawyers move in down the street and immediately start dictating what their neighbors must do to appease them?
missmisery
Tue, Aug 27, 2013 : 10:57 a.m.
Sad. but necessary.