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Update 2:30 p.m.
The owner of the home at 3527 Maple Street in Dumfries made a phone call to Town Hall after seeing our story.
Here’s the text of an email I received from Dumfries Town Manager Daniel Taber.
Uriah: As a result of your article, the son of the deceased owners just called and we are not able to discuss resolution of this issue directly with him perhaps without the need to go to court. Great result…
Original post
The abandoned house at 3527 Maple Street in Dumfries is becoming an eyesore, officials said.
Town officials want the authority to demolish the house after a fire burned inside its walls in 2013. Repairs have not been made, according to Town Manager Daniel Taber.
Here’s what he told us about the property in an email:
Uriah: The action being requested is just intended to put he Town in a position to be able to go to court for authorization to demolish the residence if the owners fail to bring the structure into compliance. Nothing is going to be done regarding actual demolition until such time as all the proper legal requirements have been met. In November 2013 there was a fire at the residence and a large hole was cut into the roof as part of the firefighting process. The house became uninhabitable as a result of the fire and has sat there in the sale condition since that time. Part of the issue is trying to determine who has legal “ownership” as the two original owners are deceased so part of the action requires the Town to do certain additional things in making certain the correct people with an interest in the house have been notified. We have contacted the parties we believe are dealing with the estate and they promised to recontact us back in January but never did. It boils down to a safety and a blight issue in the neighborhood.
The home sits in the Tripoli Heights neighborhood, just off Route 1. The neighborhood is rife with construction activity as new sidewalks and drainpipes are being installed in the area.
