19 Troubleshooter: Clark-Fulton neighbors want abandoned house razed

CLEVELAND, Ohio (WOIO) -Lida Berry said she’s been calling the City of Cleveland about the abandoned house located at 3196 W. 43rd St. for over a year but she’s hit a wall.

She tells 19 News last April the house caught fire twice and she had to evacuate from her home which is right next door.

Since then she said the house has become a safety hazard.

“They say they was gonna come out and do the grass and board up the house again because homeless people, different people keeping coming in there, maybe just living in there,” said Berry.

19 News cameras rolling Tuesday in the back of the property, where trash and other debris littered the area.

Signs posted say the house is condemned.

“We have possum and groundhogs and the cats is babies in the house and skunks,” said Berry.

She said her emails and calls to Ward 3 Councilman Kerry McCormack were answered at first and his office assured her they would raze the property. That was back in June 2022.

Since then, she says she’s gotten no response and she and her neighbors want some action.

“I would like for them to just tear it down. Yeah, because it’s not livable and it’s not repairable,” said Berry.

In a statement to 19 News, Ward 3 City of Cleveland Councilman Kerry McCormack said:

“My office first became aware of this via calls from residents in June of 2022. We immediately turned the complaint into the building and housing department, health department and fire department. From that point, we followed up an addition four times asking for updates and action on the property. The frustration of the nearby residents is absolutely and completely understandable and the city administration needs to take immediate action to remedy the problem. Our office has run our leg of the race on this complaint, now we need the city administration to do their job.”

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