Corydon council orders demolition of deteriorated North Johnson house after owner lacks repair timeline

The Corydon City Council on Sept. 25 unanimously approved Resolution 2025-009 to require demolition of a house and garage at 313 and 317 North Johnson after the property owner said she had not provided the documentation the city required.

Karen Tucker, the owner, told the council she did not have "a contractor's estimate or timeline for removal of the house and repair of the garage, as required." Because the required estimates and schedule were not submitted, Councilor Kenny Holmes moved to proceed with the resolution; Councilor Kyle Hampton seconded the motion. The vote was 5-0 in favor.

Council members expressed concern that the property remains in disrepair despite prior actions declaring it a nuisance. The resolution directs city staff to move ahead with the demolition order under the city's nuisance-abatement procedures; the council did not set a public timeline for demolition during the meeting.

The council's action follows the procedures outlined in the agenda item; the transcript contains inconsistent address text in one place (an apparent typographical error listed the second parcel as "217 North Johnson"), but the council's item and the owner statement refer to the properties on North Johnson that were the subject of Resolution 2025-009. The council's motion and unanimous vote were recorded in the meeting minutes.

Next steps: the resolution authorizes the city to begin required administrative steps for demolition and recovery of costs where allowed. The council did not vote on any contractor engagement or specific demolition schedule at the Sept. 25 meeting.