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Cedar Lake board authorizes emergency demolition after finding flooded, unstable house
Summary
On June 17 the Town of Cedar Lake Unsafe Building Board found a house at 37409 West 140th Place to be an immediate hazard and voted 3–0 to authorize emergency demolition; counsel said costs would be recovered via civil action rather than an automatic lien.
The Town of Cedar Lake Unsafe Building Board voted 3–0 on June 17 to authorize emergency demolition of a dangerously unstable house at 37409 West 140th Place after staff presented photos showing a flooded, cribbed basement and extensive structural deterioration.
The board’s finding cleared the way for the town to take emergency action without the usual prior notice because members concluded the condition posed an immediate risk to life and safety. "You guys have made a finding that emergency action is necessary to go in there and to demolish it," said Ryan, the attorney advising the board, summarizing the legal standard under the statute allowing emergency measures.
Board members described visible risks in staff photos and testimony. One member cited the depth of water visible in the basement, saying, "There's 5 foot of water in that basement," underscoring the danger of drowning or collapse if someone entered the structure. Staff also noted the house appeared to be supported on cribbing in multiple places and that several foundation elements were missing or deteriorated.
The board moved and voted to authorize emergency demolition limited to removal of the immediate danger posed by the structure; the motion was made by Mister Lehman and seconded by Mister Parker and passed by roll call (Lehman, Parker, Teal voting yes). Counsel advised the board that, because the town would act without the usual notice and prior order in an emergency, cost recovery differs from ordinary demo cases: the town would need to file a civil action to recover emergency demolition costs rather than relying on an automatic lien process reserved for non-emergency demolitions.
Staff said they would prepare the paperwork and may send a notice of the emergency action to the property's last-known address even though prior certified mail attempts had been returned. The board instructed staff to complete the emergency action as soon as feasible, document the costs, and coordinate required legal filings to recover those costs after completion.
The board closed discussion with the directive that staff perform a follow-up site check and proceed with demolition if the on-site conditions mirror the presented evidence. The board adjourned at 06:44 p.m.; legal and administrative steps for the demolition were left to staff and counsel.
