July 21 - 27, 2017
Neighbors seek help with deserted house
house, stretching above the gutters.
Town’s nuisance ordinance should address what is a health and safety issue, they say by STEVE MANN STOKESDALE – Turn off N.C. 68 into the Dorsett Downs subdivision, and you’ll be struck by the large homes, beautiful landscaping and well-manicured lawns.
Until you reach the corner of Dorsett Downs and Wessex drives. At 8011 Dorsett Downs, it appears Mother Nature is well on the way to recovering her territory. The grass there is almost 3 feet high; a large pine tree has fallen in the front yard; the sidewalk is partially concealed by overgrown vegetation; and vines have climbed the front brick to frame second-story windows. Vines also cover the back side of the
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Then there are railings that no longer attach to the front steps; debris and old window frames piled in the driveway; missing or broken fence boards along portions of the 2.06-acre property; plywood substituting for broken windows; and an in-ground swimming pool in the backyard filled with brown water and remnants of what used to be a pool cover. Neighbors say the house, built in 1989, has been vacant the better part of four years. The 3,472-square-foot, four-bedroom and three-bath house with an unfinished attic and attached garage has an assessed tax value of $331,700, according to Guilford County records. The taxes are up to date. The house appears to have been in and out of foreclosure. The owner lives in Kentucky, but two relatives reportedly live in the area. It’s a situation suited for a homeowners’ associa-
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Photo by Steve Mann/NWO
Neighbors say this house in Stokesdale's Dorsett Downs neighborhood has been vacant and neglected for about the last four years.
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