The Marshall County Unsafe Building Board voted to approve expenses tied to the emergency demolition of a Polk Township property at 17672 Main Street in Plymouth and to record the costs as a lien on the parcel.

Attorney K. Sean Cerisee told the board the contractor selected performed the demolition and that the county published notice of the emergency action after attempts to give owners notice by mail failed. Cerisee said he prepared a draft of findings of fact and conclusions of law reflecting the board’s proposed determinations and the expenses to be placed on the property tax roll.

The attorney said the contractor’s demolition price was $12,800 and that the file also included an established processing expense figure; Cerisee presented a draft that lists a total expense figure of $14,770. He told members the draft would be signed by the board and forwarded to the auditor’s office so the expense could be processed as a lien against the property.

Board members asked procedural questions about notice and how the lien would be collected. A member asked whether penalties or interest would be added over time; Cerisee said the amount would remain as charged and that collection would proceed through the auditor’s normal lien process. The board then entertained a motion to approve the expenses and the draft findings, the motion was seconded and the board recorded voice votes in favor and opposed; the board approved the requested actions.

The hearing record notes that the board used publication, rather than mailed notice, because prior attempts at mailing had not been successful; Cerisee said publication was done twice a week apart as required by the applicable statute. The draft findings and the lien filing process will be handled by the auditor’s office as the next administrative step.

No contractor name was stated during the hearing in the excerpts before the board; Cerisee said the contractor was chosen in part for quicker availability despite a slightly higher price than the lowest quote. The board did not discuss or vote on the contractor selection itself during the hearing excerpt beyond accepting the expenses and the draft findings.