City adds four buildings to list for condemnation
By Kenneth Fine
Published in News on February 7, 2006 1:52 PM
Goldsboro City Council members condemned four dwellings Monday after inspectors said each building had run through the three-phase minimum housing process.
A house located at 105 N. Slocumb St. was first inspected in December 2004. Broken windows, mold growth, deteriorating siding, rotten floors and caving ceilings were among numerous violations of minimum housing standards cited by inspectors.
Additionally, property owners Patricia McCoy and Rose Butler of Beale Street currently owe more than $1,300 in back taxes.
Goldsboro's Chief Building Inspector Ed Cianfarra said the owners made no attempt to bring the dwelling up to code, despite multiple letters from his office.
"We've gotten no response from them," he said.
Concern of residents prompted officials to inspect the house at 225 E. Vine St. in June 2004.
"We had a lot of complaints from the police department and neighbors," Cianfarra said.
From the outside, he said, the house looked fine. But during an initial inspection of the interior, broken windows, rotten floors and leaking ceilings told another story.
"The ceiling is starting to come down," Cianfarra added.
The owners, Anthony Woodard of Princeton, and his wife, have made little attempt to make the necessary repairs, he said.
The final two condemned dwellings, located at 305 and 309 Pearson St., had serious code violations as well. Inspectors cited rotten siding, broken windows and caving ceilings. Both of the properties are owned by members of the Sauls family, who live in Raleigh.
All four dwellings, having been condemned, will be slated for demolition at the owner's expense. Councilmen voted unanimously to take action, continuing their efforts to "clean up the city."
Cianfarra said there are still dozens of properties ready to come before the council for condemnation. However, he said, limited funds require him to bring only a few cases at a time.