MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — More than 100 vacant properties in Morgantown are creating challenges for city workers, police and neighborhoods.
Mike Stone, the director of code enforcement said officials do their best to limit risks and keep neighborhoods safe, but the problem is not going away.
“People that find out they are vacant and take up residence in these buildings,” Stone said. “I think that’s the biggest concern.”
Stone said officials learn about vacant properties from people in neighborhoods, regular code enforcement patrols and information developed by police. Stone added from that information, officials have found vacant properties that require extensive repairs; one case includes a structure falling off of the foundation.
Property owners are expected to keep vacant properties secure or board them up, but Stone said it doesn’t always work that way.
“We went over within 15 minutes of getting the call the building was cleared and started boarding a structure back up,” Stone said. “As my guys were putting the last screw in the plywood, they heard someone inside yelling, ‘Let me outta here, let me outta here.'”
Stone called it a continuing problem.
“We have boarded up several ourselves, my guys will go out and find one that’s vacant with vagrants in it. The police will clear the building and we take over plywood, screw guns and screws to secure the building,” Stone said. “But tomorrow, we get a complaint that the building is open and occupied again.”
Stone said the problem is also a health safety issue for workers in the code enforcement division.
“The needle problem is a big problem, a very big problem,” Stone said. “Some of these places they take squatters rights and they have no utilities, so they build a little fire to keep warm and there’s another hazard.”
Stone stressed most landlords are good people that follow the rules and provide safe housing for residents and students. However, some property owners use the appeal process and other loopholes to avoid or stall when work on properties is ordered because of safety concerns or code violations.