Merced Mysteries & Minutia: Burned out homes and how the city of Merced handles them

Since I began this column, I have received an outpouring of questions about code enforcement in the city of Merced.

Some have been very broad. For example, some have asked, “Why doesn’t the city do more to make sure people keep their yards clean?” Others have called or emailed me complaining about their neighbors.

The subject of this column mostly is about a specific house. The inquisitor said the house has been an “eyesore” for about five years and posed many questions.

Q: What year did the vacant house in the 1900 block of R Street near John C. Fremont school burn, who owns the property and what can be done to change its appearance?

A: The house is vacant. It was built in 1952 and has had multiple owners since then, according to records from the Merced County assessor’s office.

The house’s windows are boarded up; fire has damaged the outside; and the grass is dead. The last note about the grass isn’t necessarily bad (California drought, anyone?) and other plants seem to be in decent shape. There also is some kind of pole that clearly is damaged hanging off the roof and crossing the front porch and door.

It currently is privately owned, according to the Merced County assessor’s office.

After looking through Merced Sun-Star archives, I found the house has burned at least two times.

The house sustained substantial damage to the front room and kitchen in a fire June 11, 2010. Firefighters at the time said it was unclear who owned the home, which appeared to be abandoned. Witnesses to the fire told the Sun-Star the house was occupied by transients and filled with trash.

Firefighters rescued from the fire two Chihuahua-mix dogs that suffered from smoke inhalation and were taken to the Merced Animal Shelter. Former Sun-Star reporter Marci Stenberg snapped a compelling photo of two firefighters placing oxygen masks on the pooches.

The fire most recently reported occurred May 19, 2013. Investigators suspected someone lit the fire near a detached garage, which since has been removed. The garage, a breezeway and the interior of the home burned. Firefighters put out two other fires that night and, at the time, believed all three were related.

At the time of the second fire, the home was owned by the Federal National Mortgage Association. Just five months later, it was bought by the current owner.

The city issued a permit to the owner Jan. 28, 2014, to tear down the detached garage, said Mike Conway, a city spokesman.

When it comes to code enforcement and burned-out homes, the city’s main priority is public safety, Conway said. In this case, the property is fenced. As for the physical appearance of such homes, that’s the property owner’s responsibility, he said.

If the owner doesn’t put up a fence, the city would put one up and either charge the property owner or add it to the cost of the property if it were to be sold.

Sometimes when vacant homes burn, it can be difficult for the city code enforcement department to contact the owner. If the owner has died, the city must find whomever inherited the property.

The city currently is focusing efforts on three other burned properties that need proper securing, Conway said.

Code enforcement is located at the Merced Police Department. To report a violation, call 209-385-6912.

This story was originally published October 25, 2015 at 2:40 PM with the headline "Merced Mysteries & Minutia: Burned out homes and how the city of Merced handles them."