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Health department inspector reports unsecured structure at 412 West Main Street in Mentone
Summary
At a code-enforcement hearing, a health department inspector testified that an October 2024 inspection found broken windows and animal access at 412 West Main Street in Mentone; staff said notices were posted, certified mail to the tax address was not returned, and owners were advised to demolish or submit a plan to make the property safe.
A health department inspector told a code-enforcement hearing that an October 2024 inspection of 412 West Main Street in Mentone found multiple broken windows and unsecured openings that allowed animals to enter, leaving the building exposed and unsafe.
"I originally inspected this back in October 2024," the health department inspector said, describing photographs the inspector provided that show smashed windows and other vulnerabilities. The inspector said the department posted notices on the structure after certified mail to the owner's listed tax address did not produce a response.
County staff noted the owner's tax address in the Beacon system is listed as a PO box in Indianapolis, and certified mail to that address has not been returned. "His tax address on Beacon is listed as a PO box in Indianapolis," a county clerk said during the hearing. The inspector added that they had received a phone call from the owner about a different property, indicating the owner can be reached by phone despite the lack of response to certified mail.
The chair confirmed this was the property's first hearing and asked whether the notices clearly spelled out what the department wanted. The inspector said standard unsafe-structure notices direct owners to either demolish the building or submit a plan to make it secure and safe. "When we have anything that fits the unsafe structure, the letter we say will just, like, either tear down the structure or you can present a plan to make whatever," the inspector said.
No formal action or vote was recorded during the portion of the hearing in the transcript. Next procedural steps were not specified in the transcript segments provided; the inspector indicated notices had been issued and posted and that the department has attempted certified-mail service and telephone contact.
The hearing included presentation of photographic evidence and staff descriptions of past notices and attempts at service; no additional evidence, a schedule for compliance, or a formal enforcement deadline was recorded in the available transcript segments.
