Dover sues property owners over unsafe, fire-damaged house
NEW PHILADELPHIA – The city of Dover is suing the owners of a fire-damaged house in hopes of getting it torn down.
In a civil complaint filed in Tuscarawas County Common Pleas Court at the end of September, the city’s attorneys say what remains of the structure at 1409 East Second Street is unsafe, dangerous, a serious hazard and a public nuisance.
The house was mostly destroyed and rendered uninhabitable in a fire on May 25th, 2024. The complaint says the owners have failed to repair or raze the structure since then.
The city wants the court to set a date for the owners to tear down the remains. If they don’t, the city wants permission to raze the structure and bill the owners.
The complaint says the property owners have not responded to a letter.
Nobody was hurt in the May 25th fire.
The State Fire Marshall’s report says it was intentionally set with evidence implicating the homeowner. However, the Tuscarawas County Prosecutor’s Office declined to prosecute the case based on the owner’s declining health.
The city’s court filing suggests city officials were unsure about who was in charge of the estate or if their insurance would cover the costs “given the nature of the circumstances of the fire.”