Neighbors urge borough inspection of water-damaged, vacant house at 116 Victoria Drive

Residents of Victoria Drive told the White Oak Borough Council on Aug. 18 that a vacant house at 116 Victoria Drive has severe, persistent water damage and mold risk and needs inspection or demolition. The house, which neighbors described as a two‑story, five‑ or six‑bedroom dwelling that “has been abandoned now for a number of years,” flooded in February after the utilities were not shut off, a neighbor said, and a restoration company later gutted the interior. The neighbors said they are worried about mold, long‑term moisture and neighborhood impacts including invasive grasses blowing onto adjacent lawns. “The issue is the home on 116, which has been abandoned now for a number of years,” resident Jim Dudera told council. Another neighbor, Mike Davis, said the property’s condition is harming adjacent lawns and that a bank holds a mortgage on the property. Council President Davis responded that the borough would send a code officer to inspect the property; that inspection was described as a next step rather than a final decision. “We can have a code guy look at it,” President Davis said during the public comment exchange. Why it matters: Neighbors said the property’s interior was stripped to the studs and that standing or long‑running water raises health and habitability concerns; they urged the borough and the mortgage holder to act to prevent further deterioration and public‑health risks. The council did not vote on a demolition or enforcement order at the meeting. Council members directed staff to have code enforcement inspect the house and to follow up with the neighborhood. The bank’s role in remediation was discussed by residents but no formal action involving the bank was recorded.