Extreme Hoarding and Health and Safety Receivership
There was extremely severe hoarding conditions at this property, with piles of items reaching over 5 feet.
A municipality approached us after this property had been the subject of code enforcement action for over a decade without significant improvement. The single-family home suffered from extreme hoarding and associated health and safety issues as the owner and occupants struggled to maintain it with the huge surplus of items crowding the space. From the outside, items were visible throughout the front yard and on the front porch. The back yard was completely inaccessible due to the accumulation of scrap metal, junk, and an inoperable RV.
Combined with hoarding were further problems. The front steps tilted in opposite directions, and the front porch felt as though it may collapse at any moment. Upon entering the home, there was a strong odor of animal waste and rat droppings were visible in multiple areas. Every available space was used for storage. In parts of the house, there was no flooring and you could see the support beams. Occupants informed us that the electricity in the front room didn't work and that any time they flipped a switch, the breakers went out. There were also multiple extension cords running throughout the house, which appeared to be the main source of power to much of the property.
Inside the house,
parts of the floor was missing and you could see the support beams underneath.
The Property is Transformed Through a Health and Safety Receivership
Following our initial inspection, it was clear that it was not safe for occupants, including three minor children, to continue to reside inside the house. The risk of fire from the inoperable breaker, the use of extension cords as the source of power, the large amount of trash and junk, as well as the general living conditions inside the home were an immediate and extreme danger. We were able to assist occupants with an emergency move and fortunately, they had family nearby making that move a little easier. Due to the emergency nature of the move, we made funds available to them to help them find a new permanent place to live.
Once the relocation was complete, we conducted a clean-out of the property, and boarded and secured it. Our analysis concluded that it was simply not possible to fund the amount needed for the receivership to perform the remediation. We recommended that the court approve a sale of the property to a buyer capable of handling the necessary repairs, and for the receivership to monitor that progress. After reviewing multiple offers and performing due diligence on the prospective buyers, the property was sold to a new owner with a demonstrated track record of handling similar repairs. As part of the purchase and sale agreement, the buyer agreed to remediate all nuisance conditions within a set amount of time after the close of the sale. We monitored the buyer’s progress to ensure they completed the necessary work to abate the Health and Safety Code violations.
Considering the extensive repairs that were necessary, this rehabilitation plan proved to be the most efficient way to abate the nuisance conditions that led to our appointment. The new buyer was able to take the risk in purchasing the Property as-is and remediating the extensive nuisance conditions that a Court-appointed receiver could not. By monitoring their construction progress, the receivership was able to step in as soon as any further issues were discovered and facilitate a solution. In total, this receivership project was completed in less than 12 months.
