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Wauconda to acquire, demolish dilapidated house

Wauconda officials are set to acquire and then demolish a dilapidated, vacant house in town.

The village then plans to sell the land to a real estate developer who'd want to build a new house on the property.

Unlike house flippers on TV, officials don't have the goal of making a steep profit.

"The main purpose is to remove the blight in the neighborhood," Village Administrator Kevin Timony said. "We're not looking to get into the real estate game."

The house being targeted, a 720-square-foot structure at 417 Grand Blvd., has been vacant for some time, Timony said. Windows are covered in boards, and the landscaping hasn't been maintained.

The owner, a limited liability company, bought the house in 2011 through a tax sale.

Village officials have offered to acquire the house in exchange for paying overdue property taxes on the property. The sum wasn't immediately available.

As part of the acquisition, the village would release a $214 lien for cutting overgrown weeds, eliminate fines totaling $2,200 and dismiss several charges pending against the property owner.

The village board is expected to discuss and approve the acquisition during a special meeting set for 8:30 a.m. Saturday at village hall, 101 N. Main St.

Trustee Linda Starkey supports the plan.

"While the village does not want to be in the business of buying property, in an extreme case such as this, I feel being proactive on this matter helps the residents keep their neighborhood safe and free from eyesores (that) harm property values," Starkey said. "We hope to recoup our costs and to sell the property as quickly as possible."

Officials paid $10 for a run-down house at 403 Clearview Ave. under similar circumstances about a year and a half ago, Trustee Tim Howe said. The house was demolished, and the now-vacant lot is for sale, he said.

"We hope that situations like this are rare and that we can manage it in such a way that the village does no worse than break even on the transaction, tax settlement and demolition expense," Howe said.

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