City Council briefed on Cabin Lake demolition

After three years that have included condemnation, an attempt at renovation and the third fire in its history, Cabin Lake apartment complex on Cherokee Court in North Danville is drawing ever closer to demolition.

Though permission or a vote from Danville City Council is not required for demolition to proceed, Jerry Rigney, the city’s inspections director, gave members a briefing Tuesday night on where the project stands.

The complex was condemned in 2008 when the majority owner of the units and — president of the unit owners association, Raymond Pyant — failed to pay the complex’s water bill. Individual unit owners did not get individual water bills because the entire complex was serviced through one connection. Pyant was in charge of paying that bill from payments made to the unit owners association by individual unit owners.

With the water turned off, health-related laws required the complex to be condemned and the residents — many of whom were renting the units from the owners — were evicted.

Boarded up and empty, the complex attracted vandals, who stripped appliances, wiring and plumbing fixtures out of the building. An investor began renovating some units, but a fire destroyed those units and halted the project.

Rigney said notices were sent out three months ago to all 17 unique owners, telling them a plan for renovation or a plan for demolition had to be submitted within 90 days or the city would proceed with demolition.

There was little response to the notice, Rigney said. A few simply scribbled “demolish” on the form and returned it, and others did nothing.

Rigney said the next step is sending out one more notice, informing the owners that they will have about 30 days to contact him and arrange to get anything out of their units they might want before the city tears it down.

“I’ll meet them there, unlock the doors and let them in,” Rigney said, noting that little of value is left in any of the units.

Once that part of the process is done, Rigney will begin looking for a contractor to handle the actual demolition, he said.

Vice Mayor David Luther asked about liability for the property. The owners are generally liable for any litigation if someone is hurt on private property, Luther pointed out. He asked if the city would become liable if it handles the demolition.

City Attorney Clarke Whitfield said the city will not assume any liability.

“The owners remain potentially liable should someone be hurt on the property,” Whitfield said.

The city will, however, most likely place a lien against the owners to recoup the cost of the demolition, Whitfield said.

If that lien is not paid, the property would be eligible to be sold at auction to pay for the lien.

“It would be handled much like a property is sold at auction to pay back taxes,” Whitfield said.

Thibodeau reports for the Danville Register & Bee.