Florence neighborhood residents press council to enforce codes over long‑vacant home on Ivanhoe Drive

Tammy Broach, a Florence resident since 1987, asked the City Council to enforce property‑maintenance codes at 600 Ivanhoe Drive, a home she said has been vacant for roughly eight years and has not been secured or maintained.

Broach told council the property presents safety and sanitation hazards and is an attractive nuisance that has invited homeless occupancy and possible drug activity. She said neighbors and parents are concerned because the house sits on a cul‑de‑sac with children and teenagers nearby.

“...the property remains unsafe, unsanitary, and it's continuing to be a nuisance,” Broach said during public appearances.

City Manager Scottie Davis responded that staff has inspected the property, that the owner lives in Society Hill and that an active summons exists. Davis said city staff has coordinated with the Society Hill Police Department to attempt service on the owner and noted the city handles hundreds of similar derelict properties in varying conditions.

Council members expressed sympathy for neighbors and acknowledged the difficulty of enforcing codes when owners live outside the city. Councilman Japali (phonetic transcription from the record) thanked Broach for raising the issue and asked the city manager to outline the process; Davis summarized that legal action and court processes are required to compel compliance when owners are out of town, and that the city has code tools to seek remedies but must follow service and due‑process steps.

Why it matters: Long‑vacant, unsecured properties can create safety hazards, lower nearby property values and attract criminal activity. Residents asked the council whether cooperation with nearby jurisdictions and possible ordinance changes would speed remedies.

Clarifying details from the record

- Property vacancy: Broach estimated the home at 600 Ivanhoe Drive has been vacant for approximately eight years. - Owner location: City staff reported the owner resides in Society Hill (Darlington County); the city is coordinating service with the Society Hill Police Department. - Code tools: Staff said the city has codes that allow the city to bring violators into court, board up access and address maintenance issues, but must complete service and court steps, especially when owners are outside the city.

What the council asked staff to do

- Continue attempts to serve the property owner and pursue court remedies available under the property‑maintenance code. - Confirm whether ordinance amendments or additional interjurisdictional cooperation could accelerate enforcement in similar cases; council members asked staff to review options.

Speakers (from transcript)

- Tammy Broach — Florence resident (public commenter) - Scottie Davis — City Manager, City of Florence (staff response) - Councilman Japali — Council member who acknowledged the complaint and requested staff follow‑up

Proper names

- 600 Ivanhoe Drive (address referenced by the commenter) - Society Hill (owner’s reported place of residence; law enforcement coordination partner)

Meeting context

- Engagement level: Public‑comment item; the matter prompted follow‑up from city management and council direction to pursue enforcement steps. - Implementation risk: Medium — enforcement requires legal service, potential court proceedings and cross‑jurisdiction cooperation. - History: Residents reported multiple prior complaints to codes staff without lasting remedy. City staff said they had active summonses and had visited Society Hill to deliver summons to that police chief.

Searchable tags: derelict_property, code_enforcement, Society_Hill, 600_Ivanhoe_Drive, Florence_City