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154 Hopfield Drive- Vacant/abandoned


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#1 Anthony2173

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Posted 02 May 2016 - 07:11 AM

The house at 154 Hopfield Drive has been abandoned for many years. It has been a blight and is now attracting a criminal element as it was broken into yesterday

 

In my opinion it's gone from a simple nuisance that impacts property value to a safety issue. 

 

Is there anybody on this board who knows if the neighbors have any recourse to get the property sold or at least maintained and made secure?

 

Any help would be appreciated.



#2 Chris

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Posted 02 May 2016 - 08:29 AM

The folks who live next door with those nice blue pools need to be dumping some bleach in that green pool or call mosquito control quickly....!   


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#3 Steve Heard

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Posted 02 May 2016 - 09:15 AM

The house at 154 Hopfield Drive has been abandoned for many years. It has been a blight and is now attracting a criminal element as it was broken into yesterday

 

In my opinion it's gone from a simple nuisance that impacts property value to a safety issue. 

 

Is there anybody on this board who knows if the neighbors have any recourse to get the property sold or at least maintained and made secure?

 

Any help would be appreciated.

 

Tragedy struck the family that owned that property years ago. 

 

I know they were attempting to do a short-sale on it in 2014 and it was withdrawn. 

 

According to tax records, it is still owned by the family, but I don't think the city can force a property owner to sell or maintain it. 

 

If there are code violations, the city can go after the owners to remedy them, but I don't think there is much else anyone can do.


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#4 Anthony2173

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Posted 02 May 2016 - 11:41 AM

I appreciate it Steve. I'm familiar with the tragedy and thought the family had let the property go given all the notices on the windows.

 

Seeing the house fall into such a state of disrepair is difficult for the whole neighborhood.

 

Hopefully they either begin maintaining it or put it on the market. Not sure what was being stolen yesterday but there won't be much of a house left if they don't act soon.



#5 Carl G

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Posted 02 May 2016 - 07:49 PM

117 Elkins Circle sat vacant for years.  Just in the last week or so a someone showed up to mow the weeds and take out the dead trees and shrubs.  Hopefully the owners, whom ever they are, will sell the house so it can stop being a blight on the neighborhood.



#6 olivia

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Posted 02 May 2016 - 08:02 PM

I walk by both houses regularly.  The Hopfield property had the very same problem last spring when it became overgrown.  There was a yard crew who came by thru the summer into fall.  Apparently no longer.  I am disturbed to hear about the vandalism/burglary and will mention it to the neighbors if they are not aware.  There must be something that can be done.  We're watching this place literally fall apart, board by board.  The gate to the backyard /pool was damaged this winter, leaving the pool accessible to anyone.  That is a major safety issue as well.



#7 Steve Heard

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Posted 03 May 2016 - 07:22 AM

I walk by both houses regularly.  The Hopfield property had the very same problem last spring when it became overgrown.  There was a yard crew who came by thru the summer into fall.  Apparently no longer.  I am disturbed to hear about the vandalism/burglary and will mention it to the neighbors if they are not aware.  There must be something that can be done.  We're watching this place literally fall apart, board by board.  The gate to the backyard /pool was damaged this winter, leaving the pool accessible to anyone.  That is a major safety issue as well.

 

The access to the pool may or may not be a code violation. I don't know for sure. You can call city code enforcement.

 

Cities are often reluctant to interfere with a property owner's rights to do with their property what they want to, however, if there is no violation. This can be especially true in the case where the property has fallen into the foreclosure process or there has been a tragedy, both of which are true in this case.

 

I once listed a house as a short-sale, and the neighbors complained about the dead lawn. One threatened to sue. I ended up talking to the city attorney, who said that no one had the legal obligation to keep their house looking pretty, and that a judge would be hard-pressed to tell a homeowner that although they are losing their home, have moved out, and are ruining their credit, they've got to make the place look nice. 


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#8 mac_convert

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Posted 08 May 2016 - 02:11 PM

 

The access to the pool may or may not be a code violation. I don't know for sure. You can call city code enforcement.

 

Cities are often reluctant to interfere with a property owner's rights to do with their property what they want to, however, if there is no violation. This can be especially true in the case where the property has fallen into the foreclosure process or there has been a tragedy, both of which are true in this case.

 

I once listed a house as a short-sale, and the neighbors complained about the dead lawn. One threatened to sue. I ended up talking to the city attorney, who said that no one had the legal obligation to keep their house looking pretty, and that a judge would be hard-pressed to tell a homeowner that although they are losing their home, have moved out, and are ruining their credit, they've got to make the place look nice. 

What if this home lies in the boundaries of a development with an HOA? Can the homeowner then be forced to maintain the yard to a bare minimum of weeds pulled, and healthy looking trees and plants?



#9 maestro

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Posted 08 May 2016 - 03:14 PM

Steve,  that city lawyer needs an outside lawyer, for advice.   Here's Folsom Code Enf. info.   Pete is an enforcer with a badge.   You need to call both Pete Piccardo and Sac County Env. Health.

Best of luck because the neighbors deserve help.

 

 

....The Code Enforcement Division is available to receive reports of hazards and complaints concerning any of the following:
- Abandoned or inoperative vehicles   - Illegal construction or occupancy
- Animal control issues   - Substandard housing conditions
- Businesses without a license  - Unsanitary or unsafe premises
- Drainage problems   - Zoning violations
- Graffiti   - Private property maintenance
- Hazardous encroachments

 

CONTACT INFORMATION:
Pete Piccardo, Code Enforcement Supervisor
Phone: 916-355-7316
Fax:  916-355-7274
Email:  ppiccardo@folsom.ca.us

Jennifer Johnson, Code Enforcement Officer
Phone: 916-355-8330
Fax:  916-355-7274
Email: jjohnson@folsom.ca.us

Code Enforcement officers are on duty from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday. If violations of the Folsom Municipal Code (FMC) occur outside of these hours, please contact the Folsom Police Department at 916-355-7231.

 

 

========================================================================

 

 

Sac County will respond quickly about health & Safety violations:

Contact Information

Phone 800-429-1022
(7:00am-3:30pm Monday-Friday)

 

 

You can report a mosquito breeding pool by phone, or online:

 

http://www.fighttheb...neglected-pool/

 



#10 ducky

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Posted 09 May 2016 - 08:25 AM

Olivia is right.  The pool being accessible is a safety issue..

I thought the city had the ability to go in and take care of hazardous things and then put any costs incurred by the city as a lien on the property.  I wouldn't think ugly landscaping applies, but I would think a pool with no fence would be considered an attractive nuisance.  Sacramento County has that program where they will come and put mosquito fish into pools that aren't maintained, don't they?

If I were a neighbor, I would find out if it is bank-owned and write to the owner of record according to the Sacramento County Assessor, 875-0700.



#11 Steve Heard

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Posted 09 May 2016 - 11:17 AM

What if this home lies in the boundaries of a development with an HOA? Can the homeowner then be forced to maintain the yard to a bare minimum of weeds pulled, and healthy looking trees and plants?

 

The HOA would have their own rules and standards, and methods of enforcement. In this case, the home is not in a neighborhood with an HOA. 

 

Steve,  that city lawyer needs an outside lawyer, for advice.   Here's Folsom Code Enf. info.   Pete is an enforcer with a badge.   You need to call both Pete Piccardo and Sac County Env. Health.

Best of luck because the neighbors deserve help.

 

 

....The Code Enforcement Division is available to receive reports of hazards and complaints concerning any of the following:
- Abandoned or inoperative vehicles   - Illegal construction or occupancy
- Animal control issues   - Substandard housing conditions
- Businesses without a license  - Unsanitary or unsafe premises
- Drainage problems   - Zoning violations
- Graffiti   - Private property maintenance
- Hazardous encroachments

 

 

 

I'm not sure which of those would apply in this case, but again, the issue with code violations when a home is in foreclosure, as this one is, the question may not be whether or not the city can issue a citation for not keeping the property up, it's whether it is the right thing to do to someone who is losing their home. On top of that, they also had a terrible tragedy, so I don't know that we should expect them to keep up a property they never want to see again and are allowing the bank to have back.  

 

 

Olivia is right.  The pool being accessible is a safety issue..

I thought the city had the ability to go in and take care of hazardous things and then put any costs incurred by the city as a lien on the property.  I wouldn't think ugly landscaping applies, but I would think a pool with no fence would be considered an attractive nuisance.  Sacramento County has that program where they will come and put mosquito fish into pools that aren't maintained, don't they?

If I were a neighbor, I would find out if it is bank-owned and write to the owner of record according to the Sacramento County Assessor, 875-0700.

 

According to tax records, it has been owned by the same couple for many years, and the tax bill address is the same as the street address, so any correspondence would just get delivered to the property.

 

Also according to those records, the bank has filed a notice of default, initiating foreclosure proceedings. 

 

It is likely to be auctioned off at the courthouse steps some time in the coming months. 


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Owner - MyFolsom.com

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#12 ducky

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Posted 09 May 2016 - 01:51 PM

Thanks, Steve.  I thought maybe the bank already owned it.  I am sorry for whatever hard times the owners had, but it sounds like things will be looking up soon for the neighborhood.






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