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Staff recommends 90-day extension for one repairable house, urges condemnation processes for two others
Summary
City staff told the council about three problem properties — 3209 Seventh Street, 2216 Loop Road and 2204 Donna Washington Avenue — and recommended a 90-day extension for ongoing repairs at one, while suggesting condemnation or demolition processes proceed if no viable buyer or rehabilitative plan emerges for the other two.
City staff reported on three problem properties in Tuscaloosa and recommended different next steps depending on each property's condition and prospects. At a council meeting, staff said the owner of 3209 Seventh Street has been working on repairs and asked the council to give a 90-day extension to allow work to continue. "My recommendation is let's give him 90 days and that'll work," the staff member said.
For 2216 Loop Road, the staff member said the property had been moved into condemnation after property-maintenance efforts failed and that a representative for a potential buyer — identified in the discussion as someone associated with Cam Parsons — was expected at the meeting. The staff member said the house "could be salvageable" if a buyer intends to rehabilitate it, and recommended allowing a short period for a buyer to close. "If they're planning on just buying it, tearing it down, I would say go ahead and condemn," the staff member added, describing condemnation as a way to allow the city's demolition process to proceed if no rehabilitative buyer appears.
The third property, 2204 Donna Washington Avenue, was described as open to the public and repeatedly occupied by squatters. Staff said attempts to contact owners had been unsuccessful and that an heir search and tax records suggested there may not be living heirs. The staff member said the city had posted the property and that no one had contacted the office. A council member asked whether the property would eventually go to the state if taxes were not paid; staff replied that it "would depend" and noted that unclaimed properties often move toward tax sale proceedings if taxes remain unpaid.
The discussion included brief mentions of possible buyers and of staff who track title or tax irregularities; no formal council vote on these individual properties was recorded in the transcript. The comments on each house were presented as staff recommendations and condition reports rather than final actions.
