Headache house inflames neighbors

ALBUQUERQUE (KRQE) - To neighbors, it's dangerous, an eyesore and a nuisance.

And because the City of Albuquerque has put off doing anything about it for months, the house is also a source of frustration.

"After a couple of years of telling people it's a problem and nothing's done, I'm ticked off," said Kate Krause who lives next door to the home. "It's a bad house. It's a great neighborhood. It's about one bad house, and that's it."

The single story home sits at 3100 San Joaquin Ave. SE in Albuquerque. The city has cited the owners eight times over the years for having junked cars in the front and back yards.

Two years ago, a fire at the house burned a hole in the roof and rendered the structure unlivable. Fire investigators say it was arson.

The city declared the house "substandard" in December 2009, which means no one can live there. However, residents of the quiet neighborhood said they've seen people, including transients, come and go from the house.

There's also plenty of graffiti on the walls, human feces on the ground and evidence of people partying inside.

Then, just last month, a person illegally hanging out inside started a second fire at the home. Almost a dozen fire trucks responded and stopped it from spreading to other nearby homes.

Matthew Conrad, city code enforcement manager, said he was well aware of the house when News 13 asked why it's taking so long to deal with the house.

"It's a process," Conrad said. "We have to give the property owner a chance to take care of their property."

The owners of the house are a woman in her 80s and her son. By law, the city had to give them a year to fix the house. When that didn't happen, the city was ready to tear it down. That was 10 months ago.

The Albuquerque City Council could have voted to demolish the building at that time, but it postponed taking action 10 times.

"Oh well, the promise was something would be done by the owners," said City Councilor Rey Garduño, who represents the district where the house is located. "The city is not in the business of taking over property."

Garduño said the city council kept giving the owner extensions because the owner was trying to sell the house. The seller told Garduño there were offers on the table that later fell through.

But now the city is done being patient. On April 18, the council voted unanimously to allow the owner to tear down the house. If that doesn't happen within about 30 days, the city will tear it down and put a lien on the property to recoup the cost.

Through his Realtor, the owner's son declined to speak to News 13 about the house.