Decatur commission finds 503 West Ward substandard, orders repair or demolition within 30 days

The Decatur Building Standards Commission voted to declare the house at 503 West Ward a substandard structure and ordered that it be repaired, removed or demolished within 30 days of notification. The commission also required the property remain unoccupied and secured while work is completed.

Commission staff described a long history of complaints and notices related to the property, including multiple weed/grass abatements, unpaid taxes and an open substandard-structure case that staff said dates to Aug. 28, 2023. Staff said certified and regular notices were mailed and posted; the owner did not appear at the commission hearing.

The action affects a single-family structure on a 0.181-acre lot identified in staff materials as Block 40 of Tarleton. Staff provided a timeline of enforcement attempts and photographs that, according to the record, show extensive exterior deterioration, high weeds and evidence of rodents and feral animals. Wise County tax records enclosed with the packet show unpaid taxes staff described as “a little over $3,000.” An ownership/encumbrance report was referenced in the materials; staff corrected the report date in the meeting record to May 30, 2025.

Ricky Denny, code enforcement staff, told the commission that staff had mailed certified notices and posted the property and that the certified letters were returned unaccepted. "The house is just absolutely falling apart," Denny said, summarizing the photographs and case history presented to the panel.

No owner appeared to speak at the public hearing. After discussion, a commissioner moved that the structure meet the criteria of a substandard structure under the City of Decatur Code of Ordinances; the motion passed. Separately, the commission approved a motion—also passed—to require repair, removal or demolition within 30 days of notification, to secure the property and to return to the commission with a progress update at the next meeting. The hearing record shows the votes taken by voice; individual roll-call votes were not recorded in the transcript.

Staff noted that the city may perform demolition or other abatement at its expense if the owner fails to comply and that the city may record a lien to recoup expenses under the code. Meeting discussion observed that existing tax liens could slow the city’s ability to recover demolition costs, but staff said the lien authority in the code allows the city to place and record a lien for expenses incurred. The commission directed staff to notify the owner and to return with an update at the next meeting.

The item was handled under the Decatur Code of Ordinances procedures for the Building Standards Commission; staff cited Article 5 (unsafe, dangerous or hazardous structures), Section 10-1-105 (proceedings) and Section 10-1-107 (failure to comply and city authority to abate and assess expenses).