Randall Lane buildings gone but more on list
By Kenneth Fine
Published in News on February 2, 2006 1:53 PM
Recently condemned apartment buildings at 300 Randall Lane are no longer standing. Just a few months ago, a number of tenants and their children occupied the complex.
Goldsboro's minimum housing inspector Buddy Pridgen said the only remnant left of the complex is a pile of rubble.
"About two weeks ago I went by, and he had knocked them down," Pridgen said regarding the apartments.
Late last year, the City Council voted to condemn the complex, owned by Calvin Hodgin and Mike Pate. Shocked tenants were forced to move during the holiday season after a series of conflicting reports on the condition of their apartments.
After the condemnation, Hodgin sent a letter to the tenants, telling them to ignore information regarding the property, that it hadn't been condemned, and to continue to pay rent.
The same week, a request from Hodgin Pate resulted in an extension granted by the council, a few months to get the buildings up to code.
After receiving the extension and vowing to fix the problems, Hodgin sent another letter to the tenants, this one informing them that repairs would be too costly and that the complex would be razed.
The letter, dated Nov. 18, gave the tenants 30 days to vacate the premises.
Hodgin is one of several Goldsboro residents with multiple properties under close watch by the city. Inspectors said Hodgin has received numerous letters this year regarding his properties' failure to to meet minimum housing guidelines set by the state.
Pridgen said seven of Hodgin's properties are in need of repair and face condemnation if he fails to bring them up to code before the three-phase process expires.
Three of the properties, located at 406 N. Slocumb St., 204 Cemetery St., and 1100-11001/2 Lemon St. have reached phase two.
Of the three, only one of the phase two properties has been worked on, Pridgen said, and letters sent to Hodgin regarding the Cemetery Street property have gone unanswered.
"No progress has been made on that one at all," he said.
Other properties -- 907 Aycock St., 404 N. Kornegay St. and 115 N. Slocumb -- have entered phase three, Pridgen said. Without substantial progress, these properties will soon go before Goldsboro City Council for official condemnation and demolition orders.
The final dilapidated dwelling, located at 604 E. Mulberry St., is already slated for condemnation. The case file currently sits in the inspections office and will go to the council when time permits, Pridgen said.
Hodgin declined to comment on the condition of his properties or progress made on repairing them.