East Ridge housing panel delays enforcement on 763 Flynn Drive until March

The East Ridge Housing Commission on an unspecified meeting date continued a show-cause hearing on 763 Flynn Drive to March 12 and instructed the property occupant, Juliana Gore, to pursue title or a sale so proceeds can pay off a reverse mortgage and outstanding taxes.

The continuation motion passed unanimously in a roll call vote. Commissioners said the house is secured and not currently a public-safety hazard visible from the street, but code enforcement flagged sanitary and life-safety concerns after repeated calls from neighbors. The panel told Gore to keep in contact with Housing staff member Melissa Holder and to reappear or have a buyer or mortgage-company representative present at the March hearing.

Why this matters: the commission said a sale before March is the most likely way for Gore to recover any proceeds after satisfying a loan held through Champion Mortgage (and successor entities discussed during the meeting). If the property is not sold, the panel expects Champion or its successor to step in and the city will coordinate with that entity on next steps.

Commissioners and staff reviewed the status of utilities, taxes and title. Gore told the commission she had lived at 763 Flynn Drive for about 20 years with her mother, who died in February, and that she is mentally and physically disabled and currently staying in a group home in South Pittsburg. Gore said utilities are off, her son removed some household items and she has not completed probate. She told the panel she had received informal offers and had been quoted a potential sale price “around 400” (thousand) and said Champion is owed about $340,000.

Gore said, “I’ve been living at 763 Flynn Drive for 20 years with my mother,” and described losing control of the house after family problems and her mother’s death. She said she wants to probate the property and possibly do a quick sale but does not have the funds or stable contact information to complete probate on her own.

Staff and commissioners reported they located paperwork in the house showing an original loan and subsequent assignments. A staff member noted a corporate assignment to Champion Mortgage and later references in the record to other note holders; the panel also referenced a “home equity conversion mortgage loan” in the title chain and discussed the practical effect of those recorded assignments for a sale or payoff. Staff told Gore the title/closing company working with a buyer could handle clearing title issues and that those costs are typically taken from sale proceeds at closing.

Clarifying details discussed at the hearing included an outstanding 2024 tax bill the staff calculated at $2,910 and staff references to an original loan amount in the paperwork of roughly $365,000; participants observed that Champion had acquired interests in the loan and that other transfers appeared in the title record. Commissioners advised Gore to contact Champion (or its successor) to confirm whether foreclosure or other enforcement steps had begun and to work with interested buyers to have a title company “perfect the title” as part of any sale.

The panel also clarified access and security: the property is boarded and staff said no one may enter without Gore’s permission; staff approved a limited in-and-out visit so Gore could collect clothing.

The commission moved and seconded a continuation to the March meeting and ordered Gore to reappear with an update or have a buyer or mortgage representative appear. The motion passed on a roll call that recorded five affirmative votes.

Looking ahead: the commission asked staff to confirm Champion’s current contact information before the March hearing and to notify the panel if a mortgage-holder representative or buyer appears. If the property remains unsold in March, the panel said it will communicate with Champion (or the successor holder) and pursue whatever enforcement or administrative steps are appropriate at that time.

Ending note: commissioners emphasized that a negotiated sale that resolves the loan and tax issues is the preferred path for Gore to receive any net proceeds; otherwise, foreclosure or title transfer procedures by the mortgage holder could remove that opportunity.