Health department presents evidence in Kosciusko County hearing over collapsed structure at 308 South 3rd

Kosciusko County health department staff presented photos and a timeline in a code-enforcement hearing on a collapsed structure at 308 South 3rd, saying the agency first received a complaint Dec. 18, 2023 and has issued repeated orders to remove the building.

The chair opened the proceeding by identifying the subject property and asking the health department to present its evidence. A staff member said the structure was "just a small wooden structure" in 2023 and had progressively deteriorated, adding that it "completely collapsed" last year.

The department showed photographs it said were taken in March and again on the day of the hearing that, according to the staff member, show the remains of the structure and that debris had encroached into a nearby park area. "This is a picture from March. And then from today you can no longer see this is where it's grown up," the staff member said while describing the images.

Staff recounted the enforcement timeline: an initial notice sent Dec. 19, 2023, a subsequent notice in April 2024 and a February hearing for which the owner did not appear. When asked about service, the chair pressed whether the department had proof the notices were received. The staff member said the owner "did not sign for" some recent mailings but did sign for the certified mailing that was sent in February; regular mailings to the same address were not returned.

No formal demolition was recorded during the hearing. Officials described multiple attempts to notify the owner but indicated service of some notices remained incomplete, and the hearing was continued. The department did not announce a final enforcement date during the session.

The next procedural steps were not finalized on the record; staff indicated they would continue attempts to serve notice and pursue enforcement consistent with county procedures. The hearing record shows the matter remains under administrative review.