By: Stephen McCollum

Out with the old, in with the new. For the last few years in Hartford City, the emphasis has been on getting rid of old, blighted properties. That might make way for some new badly needed replacements in a city with an affordable housing challenge on its hands.

The City’s Property Standards Board is at the center of the effort to evaluate properties that are not just a blight on the landscape but possibly a risk to public health and safety. The PSB’s chairman, Ron Dudelston, says that Ordinance 2020-11, enacted by a 5-0 vote on November 2, 2020, is based on ones in use in other Indiana locales.

“This new ordinance, 2020-11, coupled with existing Indiana State code, will give the PSB the legal authority to address the problem of often empty but otherwise severely deteriorated and unsafe housing,” said Dudelston. 

“Ordinance 2020-11 allows more follow through and enforcement, ultimately through court proceedings,” said City Attorney Brandon Murphy. “The board was somewhat restricted under the old ordinance because a specific situation or condition wasn’t listed. The new ordinance is not only more specific about structural conditions, but it addresses issues related to public health also.”

Murphy emphasizes that any property owner who has had a complaint filed against them may appear at a hearing before the PSB. That’s when all options toward a solution that benefits both the City and the property owner are explored. 

“A property owner who shows a willingness to comply with the ordinance is much more likely to avoid any long-term legal issues,” he added.

Dallen Bunch, of DRB Appraisal Service, and also owner and manager of several rental properties in Hartford City, says that the new ordinance can only help the City deal with a persistent problem—an increasingly aging housing stock in an economy that has not been robust enough to promote either increased population or the development of new housing.

“This should really help deter people from either out of town or out of state who buy up old property sight unseen and try to ‘flip’ them for a profit after only the most minimal of rehabilitation,” Bunch said. “In other places where similar ordinances are in effect, they have seen a decrease in this kind of exploitative real estate dealing.”

The good news for Hartford City, according to Bunch, is that the Blight Elimination Program that has resulted in the demolition of dozens of properties in recent years has had a positive impact on property values overall. That is necessary to encourage future development.

Ordinance 2020-11 empowers the City to order inspection of any property suspected of violating standard building and maintenance codes. Although elimination of blight, which often requires a demolition, is a large part of getting the City’s property values and its quality of living improved, it’s not the sole scope of the work. 

The PSB has a collaborative partnership with Build a Better Blackford (BBB) and the Blackford Development Corporation (BDC) to address issues from maintenance to general clean-up of trash and debris. Recently, the PSB coordinated the removal of five structures—two garages with collapsed roofs and three houses, one fire-damaged and the other two deemed unfit for habitation. 

“Having community groups like Build a Better Blackford available to collaborate with the PSB is very beneficial to property owners who may need help to come into compliance with the ordinance,” said Murphy. 

To get a sense of the scope of the problem, Dudelston reports that “at any given time, the PSB may have 20-25 properties on a working list.” Murphy adds that, on average, about 20 percent of those cases will be at risk for legal action.

The ideal win-win solution for both the City and a property owner happened recently. The owner had been diligently paying mortgage and taxes on a house that was uninhabitable and unsellable. The PSB was able to summon the owner to a hearing. When it was agreed the owner was willing to be rid of the property, but didn’t know how, the PSB issued a condemnation and order it demolished.The City has notified the bank of the change in property status and is working to have the lien on the mortgage forgiven.  The owner will then release the deed to allow the Blackford Development Corporation to proceed with demolition and clean-up. 

From 2015-2020, the Blight Elimination Program administered by the City in partnership with BDC removed 58 blighted properties in Hartford City and four in Montpelier. 

“To be requested to come before the PSB for a hearing is a process that can take up to three months,” Dudelston explained. “The goal is always to resolve a situation to the satisfaction of the City and the property owner. Naturally, property owners often appear very apprehensive, even defensive, but once it is established that we’re really looking for that win-win, it makes it easier to reach a solution.”

If you are burdened with a property that has deteriorated beyond your ability to cope with it, or if you are a resident with a concern about a blighted property in your neighborhood, contact the Property Standards Board through the City at (765) 348-0412. 

Dudelston, appointed to the City Common Council to fill the seat of the late Bill Sine, has chaired the PSB since June 2020. Other voting members include Monte Dorton, Fred Tobey, Jon Creek, and Toni Randolph. Advisory members to the PSB are Nikki Grider, City Ordinance Coordinator; Captain Ethan Cox, Assistant H.C. Police Chief; and Savannah Ocasio, Legal Assistant to City Attorney Brandon Murphy.

“This is a dedicated and tireless group of citizen volunteers,” said Dudelston. All PSB board members are appointed by the Mayor. 

“We simply want to encourage our residents to be accountable for their property, to help us keep it clean and inviting to everyone,” said Mayor Eckstein.