Evansville hearing affirms multiple vacate, repair and raise orders; most cases set for progress checks in August

The Evansville City Building Commission hearing on June 26 affirmed a string of emergency vacate, raise and repair orders for properties the city said are unsafe or unfit for habitation, and set progress review dates—most commonly Aug. 28, 2025. Hearing Officer Ryan Schultz presided and said repeatedly that the city would affirm orders when inspectors’ evidence showed “an impaired structure condition” that made a property unsafe or a public nuisance.

The hearing matters ranged from routine repair orders to emergency vacates tied to inactive utilities. Several property owners told the commission they were pursuing repairs or sales; inspectors and the hearing officer frequently cited missing windows, collapsed or bowing foundations, fire damage, and inactive gas or electric service as reasons to affirm orders. In multiple cases the commission accepted plans to continue a case so repairs can be started or permits filed; in others it affirmed vacate or raise orders and gave owners 10 days to appeal to the Vandenberg County Superior Court as provided by Indiana Code 36-7-9 and local ordinances.

Inspectors and staff repeatedly set Aug. 28, 2025, as the next compliance or progress-check date for many continued matters, and several cases were continued to July 24, 2025, for either on-site inspections or owner updates. The commission also flagged a small number of properties for civil-penalty enforcement: the hearing officer authorized or put $500 fines under advisement in several cases for alleged willful noncompliance.

Most significant outcomes

- The commission affirmed emergency vacate orders where utilities were inactive and inspectors reported safety hazards. Hearing Officer Schultz read the evidence and stated: “the structure is an impaired structure condition that makes it unsafe to persons or property. The structure is a public nuisance.” That language was applied repeatedly in rulings, particularly where CenterPoint and city utility records showed gas or electric service marked inactive.

- Where owners presented evidence of active repair work or permits, the commission frequently modified large “raise” orders to repair orders and returned matters for progress review rather than ordering immediate demolition or raising. For example, Inspector Allen reported active permits and steady repair work at 3926 North Fourth Avenue and the commission returned that matter for an Aug. 28 progress report. Owner Gina Bayt told the commission she had recently obtained permits to begin work on two buildings at 1143 and 1163 Covert Avenue and “we just got these permits two weeks ago,” and the commission nonetheless affirmed the orders but allowed the owner to submit a repair schedule and set a compliance check.

- The commission continued multiple matters to give owners time to obtain contractors, permits, or to arrange on-site walkthroughs.…