I agree about everything said here. This house is such an eyesore. It's such a shame; the house was built in 1890--such potential! I looked it up on the city's assessor's database and Zillow because I was curious as well. It was last sold in 2001 to a couple and then ownership was transferred to the man in 2005. His legal practice still lists its current address on Facebook as 500 Central Ave. Is anyone ever in there? Apparently, he lives on Yale Ave now according to my amateur detective work. No other data was out there about foreclosures or a bank owning the property. What can be done about this house?

Might this property also be a 'historic' piece possibly qualifying for more attention? I agree this property is a tragic eyesore and a source of contaminating properties with a very invasive weed as well as providing a place for unsavory activity.

Home has been like this almost 8 years. I saw a for sale sign about 6 months ago and it came down a few weeks later. Last I heard it had cleared court to be sold. Someone pays the taxes so the tax assessor database (open to the public via the city website) will show who now owns it. Good place to start. It was a beautiful home that eventually will be cheaper to take down if something is not done fast. Would make great condos.

Nate is correct in that this have been ongoing for years. Nick at LCI should have the most current information. One neighbor reports that the bank won't foreclose because of liens and back taxes, and if this is correct, it is in limbo with the owner living nearby. We'd love to see the city take action beyond occasionally cutting the grass and clearing snow. This beautiful building should be the centerpiece of the area- not the eyesore! We'd love to hear what LCI has to say about the current status.

Nate is correct that this has been ongoing for years. I've heard that it is in legal limbo, with the owner living nearby and not paying with the bank avoiding foreclosure because of liens and back taxes. LCI is aware but we'd love to see them do more than cut the grass and clear snow occasionally. This beautiful building should be the centerpiece of the neighborhood- not the eyesore. Can LCI weigh in here to provide the latest information?

Search:
https://www.uslandrecords.com/ctlr/
for land records in New Haven

Condo's would make good money, if done right. I would prefer a B& B or something more community oriented.

Same invasive weeds loaded with seed pods about to burst open, are all over the Westville Post Office fence in front and along the side-

please post as a separate issue Barbara. You are fright. and all over the neighborhood

Good Afternoon All. I am weighing in for LCI as the Neighborhood Specialist for Westville and Beaver Hills. I hope this update will answer your questions and address your concerns. 500 Central Ave. has accrued $9,000.00 in anti-blight fines, among other fines for property maintenance (fence around pool, grass and snow removal, ECT.) which was done by the city. The recently attached Anti-Blight Lien of $9,000, is the first step toward a foreclosure action. This is a complicated legal process, especially with the way the title of this property is. It will take some time depending on how the Bank of American responds to this action. They may want to pay the fine, finally take official title of the property and come into compliance, in order to re-sell the property. Nevertheless, it is our intention to gain compliance and promote quality of life for the neighborhood. I am confident that through the anti-blight ordinance we will achieve this goal. Finally, LCI has regullary cut, cleaned and secured this property for the past few years and we will continue to do so. I will talk to our property maintenance division and ask if they could remove more of the invasive weeds/bushes around the property when they cut the grass. Please don't hesitate to give me a call with any questions. I appreciate your concern and involvement with the neighborhood and this matter.

Thanks .

Nick L.

LCI

LCI, can you provide a brief update on the house?

In terms of reinvestment and the historic nature of the home, it is eligible, like all houses in the Westville Suburban Historic District (roughly Yale Ave/West Rock to Fountain to Forest to Yale fields), and in all other historic districts in New Haven, for the Historic Homes Tax Credit from the state. The credit is 30% back on most interior and exterior repairs, renovations and upgrades for projects between $25-100K. No vinyl siding or additions, but painting, roof, structural, HVAC, and more are all eligible costs. Cash back after the tax credit is sold to a corporation is about 25-26%, so about $25K in cash back to the homeowner for a $100K project. Go to http://www.cultureandtourism.org/cct/cwp/view.asp?a=2127&q=302270 for more info.

The house was under foreclosure in 2009. A bankrutpcy was filed in 2010 which stopped it, Then the bank restarted it but has done nothing on it in 2 years. So it is still legally owned by the homowner who is not there anymore. Perhaps the city, through Corp counsel, can notify the bank (BAC Loans) through its attorney, that action will be taken if nothing is done to get it out of legal limbo, which is where it is now.
If taxes, sewer or water are owed, start a foreclosure NOW to get their attention.

LCI was there today and mowed and cleared out weeds and a lot of the overgrowth. Now it's not overgrown; it's just ugly. I spoke to a neighbor who explored buying the home when it was for sale, but was put off by the back taxes and fees owed, and said that no one seemed to know who now owns the note on it. Whose job is it to pursue this? Meanwhile, this beautiful house continues to deteriorate. With the weeds gone you can see that the porch is in danger of collapsing. There is ivy growing inside!!

The ivy has been growing inside for years. It is really no one person's job, as I understand it. It is in our collective interest as a neighborhood. Can we gather a team of interested parties through WVRA to explore possibilities and invite interest from the kinds of investors and for the kind of uses that would support renaissance? If that neighbor had had a team of interested parties to work with, maybe she would not have been scared off. Such an approach could model a way of getting things done like this, rather than being trapped in ignorance and defeatism. I bet it HAS been done the way I suggest, elsewhere. The team could start by seeing what other teams have done this, by finding what kinds of grant support might be available, etc. I am sure the city would love to have regular tax payments from this and many other underutilized properties. And it does have historical value and incentives (already mentioned in this thread). The players that are holding it up are likely to move if there is a clear and persistent voice of interest consistently seeking their attention.

Nate, I like your idea and was just thinking, prior to reading your post, that a "stave the deterioration" work party among neighbors, partnered with LCI perhaps, could generate interest (and perhaps some press...) for the property. Deal with the weeds and invasives, prop up the porch and do we what we can to improve the overall appearance of the house. This could be a good first step to some of the ideas you mention above and would help bring together interested parties. Nick, can you weigh in on this possibility?

I LOVE THIS FORUM OF EVERY1 UNITING & WORKING 2GETHER 2 RESOLVE THIS ISSUE IN PEACE!
BTW NICK IS AN AWESOME YOUNG MAN WHO HAS COMPASSION FOR US THE PEOPLE
& OUR RIGHTS. SO WHEN IN DOUBT HAVE THE ULTIMATE FAITH IN GOD WHO'S WORKN THROUGH HIM GETN THE JOB DONE!
YES LORD, GOOD PEOPLE & THINGS CAN & DOES COME OUT OF NEW HAVEN
THANK U JESUS FOR UNITY & PEACE
AMEN, AMEN,AMEN

ENJOY THE DAY, STAY ENCOURAGE, FOCUSED & BLESSED

I am all for getting together as a neighborhood and helping this property out. Both my husband and I have been talking about it since this post first originated. How do we get started? Maybe we can get an email list going? I don't mind if someone wants to contact me directly--I'd love to do whatever it takes to get this off the ground. Jesswrubel@gmail.com

Btw, Barbara--as for who owns the house, with a simple Google and property assessment search you can find the name of the homeowner and lots of other info. Obviously, I'm not going to post it here out of respect, but the info is definitely out there.

Previous issues & notes on the property: http://seeclickfix.com/issues/41109-vacant-condemned

Love the idea Chris, of a first work party. I am "IN"

This issue has been resolved. 500 Central is now owned, renovated, occupied, and not in violation of any city anti-blight ordinances at present. If your issue remains and needs to be addressed by the city, please either re-open or open as a new See Click Fix issue. Thank you.

Thanks for fixing this request!