Neighborhood Nuisance: Emergency Demolitions in Toledo

TOLEDO, Ohio (WTVG) - Plenty of houses in Toledo need some TLC but some are beyond repair, presenting an imminent threat to people living nearby.

Imagine living just feet away from a house that could collapse at any moment, that’s what one woman in a Toledo neighborhood says she’s been dealing with for years.

“This is a problem. This is a nuisance,” Cynthia Reynolds, who lives near a nuisance property said. “It’s been vacant for about seven years. It caught on fire. The owner passed away and everything.”

The home on the corner of Fernwood and Baron Steel Avenue was on the verge of collapse.

“When they had the real bad storm, when the Point Place got tore up, this here, it caved in,” Reynolds said. “Next wind, I believe it’s going to knock it down.”

Reynolds is concerned about the property and the kids who hang out near there.

“They be taking big sticks, banging, trying to see how many hits it’s going to take for it to fall down,” Reynolds said. “It’s going fall on them, collapse, and somebody’s going to end up dead.”

Reynolds contacted 13 Action News for help, but not before taking matters into her own hands.

“I called Engage Toledo and complained,” Reynolds said. “I sent them pictures and everything.”

13 Action News called the City of Toledo and found out they were already planning on tearing down the house in January 2025.

“I still think that’s too long for them to let that sit, with this being like this is,” Reynolds said. “That’s a hazard.”

After Reynolds’ complaints, the City reevaluated the property and put it on its emergency demolition list. A short time later, the City tore it down.

If you think there’s a house in your community that poses a danger to you and your neighbors, report it to the City through Engage Toledo. Be sure to include photos and details about why you think the property should be a candidate for emergency demolition.

If there is a property in your community that has become a neighborhood nuisance, reach out to Sophie Bates on social media or by email at sophie.bates@13abc.com.

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