Village takes action on decrepit Main Street property

   The Village of Caledonia is taking action against an abandoned property that is in a state of serious disrepair and posing a public safety hazard. Village police recently entered the building and reported what they found to the mayor and village board.

   Sergeant in Charge David Richardson said officers responded to a call that the front door of the property was open. What they found moved the mayor to take action.  Police removed garbage and unopened hypodermic needles, believed to have been used medically by the former owner. There were animal feces throughout the home and police removed a small quantity of marijuana as well.  

   "It was so disheveled inside that you couldn’t tell if the place had been broken in to and ransacked or not," the sergeant said.

   Police say there were no signs of forced entry and they believe the wind caused the door to become jarred open.

   Neighbors of the 3055 Main Street property have complained to the village numerous times over the past several months about the poor condition of the property. The village says letters that were sent to the property owner, ordering him to address the numerous code violations, have been ignored. A Texas bank foreclosed on the property and has ignored letters from the village ordering that the property be cleaned up and secured and the outstanding local property taxes on the property be paid in the amount of $1,247. 

   Mayor Joe Caluorie says the recent developments require the village to take immediate and aggressive action on the property to secure the exterior, prevent entry inside and to begin the legal process to have the property condemned. 

   "I want the neighbors and the residents to know that we will do everything we can to address that situation. It’s gone on long enough," the mayor commented.