Two properties to be cleaned by Quincy

Unfinished work cited for one

QUINCY - Two properties may get cleaned by the city.

One is a partially finished house at 729 K St. S.W. owned by M.A. West Rockies Inc., a Yakima-based developer. Brock Laughlin, Quincy's building inspector, said the frame and basement were installed, but nothing else had been done with the property during the last two years.

According to city documents, the owner agreed to send a letter stating what his plans were for the properties after he renewed his building permit. As of Thursday, the building department hadn't received the letter and he had until Saturday to reply.

"You'd much rather have them complete (the house)," Laughlin said.

The building has attracted children, who use it to film haunted house movies, and after two winters the plywood has become gray. He said the only way to test if the plywood is still good is to walk on it.

"After the second winter, it'd gotten pretty bad," he said. "It's not safe. There's no railing on the stairs. It's not safe."

If the city does go in and cleans the site, it'll cost $9,376. Building Official Carl Worley said they'd place a lien on the property, so if it sells they'd be able to get their money back.

The other property is a lot at 224 B St. S.E. Worley said the house was removed from the property, but a shed remained there. The shed caught fire along with the weeds and the area needing to be cleaned, he said.

The cleanup will cost the city about $10,851.

There also is a fine applied against both properties.