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Neighbors frustrated that blighted Muncie property hasn't been torn down yet

Posted at 9:54 PM, Mar 01, 2017
and last updated 2017-03-02 04:54:01-05

MUNCIE, Ind. -- Neighbors living in one Muncie neighborhood are frustrated that the city won’t take care of a home that's sat abandoned for almost three years

The home is located on the 2200 block of Dartmouth Avenue. 

Neighbors say the home has sat empty since the woman who owned it passed away and has become a frequent target of vandals as well as people dumping trash. 

Tyler Olsen has lived next door to the abandoned home for three years and has made dozens of calls to the city about the property.

“I get tired of looking at it. I feel just disappointed in our community,” said Olsen.

The home was slated for demolition last August, but despite dozens of complaints to the city, it remains standing.

“It just brings Muncie down with the rest of the problems that we’re having,” said Olsen.

Muncie Director of Community Development Dr. Terry Whitt Bailey said that the city is home to over 2,000 abandoned properties, but they don’t have the funding to address the issue.

“Just like other communities, if we had the dollars to just take care of it all, we would just take care of it,” said Bailey.

The city of Muncie says anyone who has concerns about abandoned properties should contact the building commission at (765) 747-4862.

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