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Todd County orders repair or removal of fire-damaged Burtrum house, owner given 45 days
Summary
The Todd County Board adopted an amended abatement order finding the home at 30957 County Road 104, Burtrum hazardous under Minn. Stat. §463.15 and gave owner Laurie Lee Reed (a.k.a. Laurie Lee Smith) 45 days to repair per detailed engineering and permitting requirements or remove the structure; the county may remove it at the owner—xpense and seek court enforcement if the owner does not comply.
The Todd County Board of Commissioners on June 16 adopted an amended Abatement Order finding that the home at 30957 County Road 104 in Burtrum is a hazardous structure and must be repaired to specified standards or removed. The resolution, adopted unanimously, cites Minn. Stat. §463.15 as the legal basis for the action.
The resolution lists factual findings supporting the order: the home suffered a fire in 2022 that burned away its roof, the roof has not been replaced and has reduced framing capacity, the structure rests on temporary cribbing that is settling and causing the building to lean, supporting wood beams and concrete blocks are breaking or deteriorating, and the home has no utilities connected including a functioning septic system.
The Board gave the landowner—identified in the minutes as Laurie Lee Reed, also known as Laurie Lee Smith—45 days from receipt of lawful service of the Order to either: place the home on a permanent frost-protected foundation sized to support the two-story structure; remove and replace the fire-damaged roof framing and coverings and all charred members per engineered details; complete an engineered assessment once the structure is on a permanent foundation; connect utilities and install a septic system; and ensure all required work is performed by licensed professionals under appropriate permits. The resolution requires a written statement from the contractor or tradesperson who performed the work to show compliance.
Alternatively, the landowner may remove the structure. If the landowner fails to comply with repair or removal within the 45-day period, the county will remove the structure at the owner—xpense pursuant to Minn. Stat. §463.21. The county attorney epartment is authorized by the resolution to seek enforcement in Todd County District Court by motion for summary enforcement under Minn. Stat. §463.20 if corrective action is not taken or an Answer is not filed within 20 days of service.
The action records the Planning & Zoning Division Director, Adam Ossefoort, as presenting the information to the Board; the minutes show the Board relied on the staff report and the cited statutes when adopting the resolution. The resolution is framed as an enforcement measure to abate a hazardous condition; the minutes do not record any appeal or immediate public comment on the order during the meeting.
Next steps: the county will deliver the Order to the landowner and, absent compliance, may proceed with removal and court enforcement per the resolution.
