The Muncie City Unsafe Building Hearing Authority met to review multiple unsafe-building and rehabilitation cases, hear testimony from owners and tenants, and issue enforcement orders and scheduling decisions. Chair Gretchen Cheeseman and staff reviewed notice procedures and entered the unsafe-building statute (36-7-9) into the record before calling each property.

Why it matters: The authority’s actions determine whether buildings are repaired, demolished, or referred to court and set practical deadlines and inspection requirements that affect owners, tenants and neighborhood blight. Several decisions ordered inspections and set clear removal or repair targets, affecting compliance timelines and potential civil penalties.

Key decisions and directives

- Demo and rehab continuances: The authority granted continuances across many cases — commonly 30, 60, 90 or 120 days — while requiring inspections and permits as conditions for release. For example, the fire-damaged house at 11924 West 17th was continued 30 days to allow the owner to pursue insurance and cleanup; multiple properties owned by Carl Long were continued with inspection conditions; and several rehab cases (including 81613 East Andover) were continued 30–90 days with an inspection required prior to the next hearing.

- Auto-lot enforcement: For 251001 East 29th Street (a large vehicle lot and the subject of repeated complaints), staff recommended and the authority adopted an enforcement plan that includes a $1,000 civil penalty for failure to remove a sign and an order to remove 40 vehicles before the next hearing, with documentary evidence required.

- Court referral and asbestos review: At least one property (192023 South Jefferson Street) was referred to the city attorney for court action to secure access for an asbestos inspection and potential demolition order after staff reported noncompliance and unsafe conditions.

- Administrative adoption of staff reports: For a set of docketed properties where owners did not appear, the authority adopted the building commissioner's reports and corresponding staff-recommended orders.

Voices from the hearing

Owners and tenants described a range of conditions and constraints: Ashley Vance said, “I had a house fire,” explaining why she has been tearing down a burned structure; tenants at a West Main address accused their landlord of inaction and alleged improper eviction procedures; and multiple owners asked for time to secure funding, buyers or contractors.

What’s next: The authority’s continuances set specific follow-up dates and inspection conditions; owners who do not meet the inspection, permit or removal requirements risk further enforcement, fines, or court referral. The authority will revisit these properties at the scheduled future hearings.