Golf Manor Village council approves raising orders, cites repeated vacancies and hazards at three properties

The Village of Golf Manor council on Sept. 15 approved a series of resolutions authorizing removal or owner-led raising of three properties the village says have been vacant, repeatedly breached and pose public hazards.

Jim (maintenance director and code enforcement) told the council he first encountered the problems at the properties when he took the file in 2021 and described repeated code violations, including standing water, garbage, roof leaks, electrical hazards and collapsed ceilings. “The building’s wide open,” he said of one parcel, and added that the village has paid to board properties multiple times but break‑ins continued.

The council voted to pass resolutions numbered 2025‑24, 2025‑25 and 2025‑27. The resolutions authorize the village to proceed with raising or to execute an agreement for the owner to raise a structure at 6055 Strawberry Avenue. The council heard that one owner who lives out of state has been served repeatedly but has not responded, and that in one case a new purchaser has proposed to raise the building under an agreement with the village.

Why it matters: Council members said the properties have posed a recurring public‑safety and nuisance problem — children gaining entry and evidence of attempted arson at one site — and that raising unsafe structures is the tool available when owners are unreachable or fail to remedy violations. The council noted that village costs for boarding and removal are typically assessed as a lien against the property so the village can recover expenses if the property is later sold.

Details and vote outcomes: Resolution 2025‑24 (authorizing removal at 6066 Sower Avenue, Auditor parcel 5280002023600) was discussed at length, including whether owners were paying taxes despite apparent abandonment. The council voted in favor (roll call recorded). Resolution 2025‑25 (authorizing building removal at 6065 Silver Avenue, Auditor parcel 5280002020369) also passed after discussion about the same out‑of‑state owner. Resolution 2025‑27 (authorizing the village administrator to enter an agreement with the owner of 6055 Strawberry Avenue, Auditor parcel 5280002025000, permitting the owner to raise the structure pursuant to Ohio code section 715.26) passed after the council reviewed a draft letter outlining the terms and a timeline for the owner to complete the work.

Code enforcement evidence: Jim told the council the initial condemnation notices for the properties date from 2021 and that at least one property was kept from condemnation until an occupant could relocate. He said he had documented multiple postings of hearing notices on the properties; on one parcel a notice was posted on Aug. 21, 2025, according to the code‑enforcement record presented at the meeting. Jim also said efforts to reach owners by mail produced no signed return receipts in several cases.

What the resolutions do: Council members said the village will proceed to remove unsafe structures if owners do not act, and that costs for boarding, removal and other abatement actions will be assessed as liens against the properties. For the property where an owner volunteered to raise the structure, council authorized negotiation of an agreement that would require specified work by dates included in an attached letter/email and that would likely move the work faster than village‑led abatement.

Next steps: Staff and the solicitor will finalize the written agreement for the owner‑led raising of 6055 Strawberry Avenue and will proceed with abatement steps on the other parcels if owners do not comply.