One of a pair of burnt-out houses slated for demolition on Atlanta's southwest side was smashed to pieces by a backhoe this morning as part of an effort to rid the city of thousands of blighted properties.
The bill to taxpayers: At least $36,000. And like many of the city’s blighted properties, their owners live well outside town, Fulton County property records state.
One is a Covington man who owns several Westside properties. Another is a Riverdale woman with a history of delinquent taxes.
Their two houses stand side-by-side on Cordova Street in the Oakland City neighborhood and have been trouble for years. Someone first complained of junk, trash and debris at 1109 Cordova Street in March 2013. The house next door was reported to code enforcement May 2015 for the same problems.
Credit: Willoughby Mariano
Credit: Willoughby Mariano
Demolition costs are so high because one of them is a duplex with asbestos.
Seven more demolitions have been approved for Oakland City in the coming months.
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