© Jerimiah B. Brown

Abandoned House

A demolition on N. Main

by Vickie Elmer

posted 8/14/2009

Vacant so long that part of the roof has collapsed, the faded white house at 1315 North Main is surrounded by a jungle of overgrowth. Neighbors can't recall who last lived there, and for years the county unsuccessfully tried to track the late owners' heirs. No one ever came forward to pay taxes, and in April it went up for sale in a tax foreclosure auction--and with no bidders it became county property.

Now Washtenaw County treasurer Catherine McClary has ordered the house demolished. It's McClary's seventh demolition but her first in Ann Arbor--most others were in Ypsilanti Township or Ypsilanti. McClary fears it may not be the last, as declining real estate values and tough times mean more abandoned properties. She hopes the cleared lot will finally attract a buyer and bring welcome tax dollars.   

[Originally published in August, 2009.]