ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. — Abandoned homes are being used as drug dens, lowering property values and putting local families at risk.
It's a problem plaguing neighbors in St. Augustine's historic Lincolnville area, where right now there are 21 abandoned properties.
Action News took the concerns of neighbors straight to the city.
"I'm Native American and I've been on reservations and sometimes I walk out here on the deck. I see all these abandoned houses and I think, boom I'm back on the reservation and that's disturbing to me," said Harold Lock.
"All these homes are just sitting here, deteriorating and bringing the whole neighborhood down," said Twila Hudson.
But Hudson and Lock aren't just worried about their view.
"Children can go into one of those homes that's caved in and the house could continue to cave in and kill the children," Lock said.
Drug dens and fire hazards: In February, a homeless person was killed and another burned when they started a fire inside an abandoned Lincolnville home.
"I've found people over there with their bags, crates, laying and sleeping on the porch," Hudson said.
We took their concerns to the city's planning and building director David Birchim.
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"We have an ongoing effort through our code enforcement division to make sure that those properties are secure," Birchim said.
But is secure enough? It turns out that if abandoned home owners meet the minimum standards for keeping up their properties, the city can't force them to make any other changes. The grass is cut low enough and the homes are boarded up.
We searched for the owners of the abandoned homes and learned many live out of town, even out of state. Birchim said St. Augustine has considered enacting different standards for local and out of town property owners, but the idea never gained any traction.
"We have to have consistency and continuity in how we approach these type of municipal issues and fairness and we do our best," Birchim said.
Also standing in the way is Lincolnville's historic designation, which makes it tough for new buyers to come in.
"Many of these homes were hand-me-down homes within a family and clearing the title to those homes is a really long and difficult process," said Mayor Nancy Shaver.
Hudson said the city has left them to deal with the drugs and danger these abandoned homes attract.
"We pay taxes too and we care about our property and we're trying to maintain it and the city needs to help us do that by changing the laws," Hudson said.
It's a battle between preserving history, and protecting the rights of property owners. In the middle, neighbors who just want to be to look out their window and see the charm of the city they love outside.
We reached out to the homeowners and will continue to follow the push for change in St. Augustine's city ordinance.
The abandoned home where January's fire happened is now being repaired and refurbished. Neighbors tell us they will continue to push for tougher regulations; you can count on Action News for continuing coverage.
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