Commission moves four properties to complaint stage under county abandoned-property ordinance

The Monongalia County Commission voted unanimously April 15 to move four properties into the complaint phase under county ordinance 2004-01 after staff reported the owners had not responded to notices of violation.

Joe Dumbrosski, Monongalia County litter-control officer, told commissioners he inspected the properties and found “the roof is collapsed,” bowed walls and open doors at the Brockmine Road property; broken windows, garbage and open crawl spaces at Lozelle Union Road; a partially constructed or collapsed outbuilding and a single-wide trailer in poor condition on Grafton Road; and a falling‑away rear wall and decaying outbuildings on Fairmont Road. “I have heard no response from them,” he said.

The commission’s action moves the four parcels to the complaint stage so the county can pursue enforcement under Ordinance 2004-01. The motion to approve the request was made and seconded on the record; commissioners voted in favor.

The enforcement agency asked the commission to act after its committee reviewed the properties and made a unanimous recommendation to move them forward. The ordinance cited is the county’s abandoned and dilapidated property enforcement procedure; the commission did not adopt new policy language at the meeting but advanced the four properties for formal complaint processing.

Next steps include county staff continuing the complaint process and notifying property owners of actions the county may take if corrective steps are not taken. The commission did not provide a timetable for any subsequent hearings or remediation at the April 15 meeting.