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Woman wants “dangerous” vacant home in her neighborhood torn down

Posted at 6:06 PM, Nov 19, 2015
and last updated 2015-11-19 18:06:49-05

EMMETT TOWNSHIP, Mich. -- A resident in an Emmett Township neighborhood contacted the FOX 17 Problem Solvers claiming that nothing was being done about a dilapidated home that has been empty for two years.

Terry Oldenburg, who lives behind the vacant home at 12 Alden with her 9-year-old grandson, has been pressuring the Calhoun County Land Bank to tear it down.   The vacant home has numerous broken windows, siding falling off and pipes coming down.

"As you can see it's got a health notice on the door," she said. "And when we call the bank and stuff, they tell us they don't have the money to take it down."

Oldenburg said the land bank has been taking down homes all over the county.

"If this was their neighbor's house it would be down a long time ago," she said.

The land bank needs federal grant money to tear down blighted homes like the one in Oldenburg's neighborhood. Land bank officials tell the FOX 17 Problem Solvers that the property is one of their "top priorities," and they hope to have it torn down in 2016 along with 25 other homes.