Politics & Government

Home on Gladys Avenue Condemned, Boarded Up

The police took the homeowner into custody on Tuesday for numerous citations — and an effort to remove him from the home.

The city of Lakewood condemned a Gladys Avenue home after building and housing officials determined it to be a safety hazard.

The walls are bowing out. The rear addition is detaching and falling from the home. In one night, the roof collapsed after a structural beam in the basement buckled.

Those are just a few of the reasons for the city's nuisance declaration.

Find out what's happening in Lakewoodwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

“We’ve got kids who live next door,” said Kevin Butler, the city’s law director.

The police took the homeowner into custody on Tuesday for numerous citations — and in an effort to remove him from the home at 1214 Gladys Avenue.

Find out what's happening in Lakewoodwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

The windows and doors were boarded up and the property was declared a nuisance under city ordinance.

Butler said the home will likely be demolished.

According to the nuisance declaration, there have been several inspections of the property.

“The owner failed, neglected, or refused to comply with previous correction notices,” according to the filing. “This structure has been deemed unsafe to occupy.”

The homeowner has 10 days to appeal the city’s finding.

“Every so often we have to issue a nuisance to a home, and a lot of times we have to knock them down,” said Butler. “This is an unusual one because it’s not already vacant and abandoned. Most of them are bank-owned and are vacant and abandoned.”


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