BOISE - The City of Boise has ordered the owners of two crumbling homes in a Boise Foothills neighborhood to demolish their homes at their own expense.
The homes are on Alto Via Court in the Terra Nativa subdivision. Residents of a handful of homes were forced to abandon them last spring after a slow moving landslide began to cause damage to homes, including cracks in the foundations. Over the past year, the damage has become extensive.
In a May 12 legal notice to the owners of two of the homes, the city cited public safety issues, ordering the owners to begin demolition within 15 days. They would then have 25 days to complete the work. The demolition would come at the owners' expense, the city said.
City of Boise spokesman Mike Journee told KTVB on Tuesday that it is the owner's responsibility to demolish the homes because they have been deemed unsafe buildings, and are a threat to public safety.
The area has been closed for more than a year because of safety concerns, but the homes have been the targets of vandals and trespassers in recent months. On Sunday, two men and two juveniles were taken into custody for trespassing at one of the homes.
In a letter to the attorneys the homeowners, the city said the property had recently been re-inspected and found that it had "deteriorated to a degree necessitating removal or demotion of two residences owned by your clients."
A group of homeowners is suing the City, the Ada County Highway District and the developer of the homes, saying someone should have noticed the hillside was unstable before the houses were constructed.
Rick Stacey, an attorney for the two affected homeowners, told KTVB that he filed for a protective order on Monday, saying the damaged homes are considered evidence in the ongoing lawsuit. If a judge approves the request, the homeowners could avoid demolition until the litigation is settled.