Remedying a Deadly Combination of Hoarding and Faulty Wiring

We were appointed to tackle the extreme amount of items stored inside this single family home. Hoarding is usually also associated with property degradation as the surplus of belongings make it difficult to clean the property or take care of any homeowner issues that arise with normal wear and tear. Combined with the fact that the large number of items themselves can damage a building, not properly maintaining it is a recipe for greater and greater deterioration that can culminate in significant structural damage. This property was no exception and, as the Court Appointed Health and Safety Receiver, we found structural deficiencies so severe that the building needed to be demolished.

Structural Issues, Relocation Assistance, Hoarding, Fire HazardMark AdamsJanuary 2, 2020Single-Family Home

A Deserted Property Gets a New Lease of Life

After the owner of this single-family home sadly passed away, leaving no will and no apparent heirs, the building began to decay. A series of break-ins occurred and those squatting inside the property hastened its degradation. The vacant home became a nuisance to the surrounding community, and the dangerous volume of trash and debris littered throughout the interior and exterior of the home presented a fire hazard as well as an eyesore. As there was little equity in the property, we needed to find an economical approach to rectify the state and municipal health and safety code violations onsite.

Health and Safety Receivership is Used to Abate a Wildfire Danger

Officials in a northern California County, prone to dangerous wildfires, contacted CRG after a property owner within its boundaries refused to address serious code violations at their home. Infractions included masses of dried leaves, accumulated junk, and dead shrubbery surrounding the property. Most significant were six large, dead trees, which were clumped together, leaning directly against the house. The unmaintained landscaping had the potential to magnify even a small fire, with the trees providing a potential ladder, helping to push any fire up and into the house. All that was needed for the unkempt property to turn deadly was the strike of a match, or a spark of wildfire. This would have endangered not only the owner, but neighboring properties, as well; the problems on-site reached far across the lot, enabling any fire to spread to the neighborhood.

Fire Hazard, Hoarding, Defensible SpaceMark AdamsDecember 31, 2019Single-Family Home

Fire Damaged and Collapsing: Rescuing a Ruined Property

Over fifteen years of municipal code enforcement efforts yielded no results in gaining the owner’s compliance to remedy the issues afflicting this nuisance property in Alameda County. In fact, conditions only worsened as the home became the subject of a fire and multiple break-ins. Each time the house was broken into, it was the City who had to expend precious municipal resources to board up and secure the home. The fire made the property more dangerous and increased the likelihood that the structure would collapse. Nevertheless, transients continued to squat inside the house and it became a major source of crime and blight in the neighborhood. Through a health and safety receivership, the dangerous issues on-site were abated and the future of the property secured.