Our View: Days numbered for junk-filled local property

Talk about it

One man’s junk is another man’s pain in the behind.

Nearly two years after the City of New Richmond started working with local property owner Vernon Borst to have his building cleaned up, it looks like the work will finally get done.

Not that Borst is going to do it willingly.

After a lengthy and contentious condemnation process, Judge Edward Vlack has sided with the City in the matter.

That means local officials can schedule demolition work on the property in the coming months. Borst will be billed for the work, or the cost will be added to his tax roll.

It’s amazing that any communities push hard to clean up properties that negatively impact a neighborhood’s property values, given how difficult the process is.

The process is one frought with frustration, as a property owner promises one thing and then fails to follow through on anything.

Yet the legal system allows for appeal after appeal as the building owner strings the process along.

We suppose the system is set up that way to protect the property rights of law-abiding owners. Afterall, we don’t want municipalities running roughshod over the average Joe homeowner or businessman.

But there was never any doubt that the property would be razed. All one had to do was drive by the place to know its days were numbered. It’s always been a matter of when -- not if -- the structure would come down.

Local officials are to be commended for keeping up the fight. It would have been easy to throw in the towel.

Two years is a long time to wait for a resolution to a needed demolition order, but it’ll be worth the wait.

Tags: opinion, junk, ordinance