MUSKEGON COUNTY, Mich. -- Dick Czarny wakes up to the view of a rundown home next door to his home.
"It's been like that for four years," the White Lake homeowner said.
Czarny and his neighbors are stuck with the eyesore of exposed insulation and weathered plywood, but it's what's he believes is inside the blighted home that has him most concerned.
"I called the supervisor to see what they found he says, 'Oh yea, there's mold in there. As long as it's not disrupted, it'll be ok. But there's birds coming in and out. We're 12 feet away. We're pretty concerned," he said.
Four years ago, Czarny said his dog Rigby woke him up to a fire next door. Czarny said he then ran to get the neighbor out of the burning home.
"Pounded on his door. He came downstairs. Thank God cause there was a lot of smoke," he said.
"He didn't have homeowner's insurance to begin with. So I think the money that he's had he used up, and this is where we're sitting," Czarny said.
Since it's been boarded up, he said nothing's changed. It's tagged and has been deemed uninhabitable by the township building inspector.
Czarny said when his neighbor checks on the property "he doesn't talk to us anymore."
"We'd like to see it tore down is what we like to see," he said.
"We always look on the tax sale to see if it is up for taxes cause maybe we'd buy it and knock it down, move our fence over, [but] he's paying taxes on it," Czarny explained.
FOX 17 spoke with Dalton Township supervisor Tony Barnes who said a lot of progress has been made with addressing local blighted properties in his two years on the job. He said it's a process. As for this particular property, he said there is a court date on December 4th.
Barnes said the the township is suing the property owner to get him to bring the building up to code. If the property owner fails to get the permits within a certain amount of time, Barnes said the township is seeking court approval to demolish the home.
We'll let you know what happens.
