March 11, 2026, per that referral.
Moermond: has your team gone out and looked at the exterior?
Dornfeld: I’m assuming we were out there and took photos, but I don’t have that
technology in front of me.
Kahramonova: this isn’t a single-family home. It is an upper and lower duplex. We did
have an eviction posted for the upper unit. Because of the ICE situation they defaulted
and abandoned the property. We went in and cleaned up. The doors were locked. The
day we received a call from Mr. Demarest we were told to come and immediately board
it to prevent the condemnation. Then the next day we got the condemnation notice. He
was on the phone with the property owner March 9th talking through all the necessary
steps needed from us and he only got a call to begin with was because of the
squatters. Our contractors were there until 11 pm on March 9th making sure it was
secured. We didn’t know the building’s utilities were shut off we just recently found out
about the water. We called and were told it was due to Department of Safety and
Inspections. This was all a surprise to us. We just want to complete all the necessary
repairs and restore it to get it back on the market. That was the whole plan with
posting the eviction notices.
Moermond: both units are empty?
Kahramonova: correct.
Moermond: first question Mr. Demarest is about the boarding communication and
second was contacting water?
Demarest: when I contacted the property owner the first day to alert them, we left the
offer they board the house first, saving them the emergency call out charge from our
contractor doing it. I left that option out there in good faith, which they did. There was
never any communication about not condemning the property. That was the likely path
when we found it. Regarding utilities we found from the water department there was
heavy usage even though it was supposed to be vacant. Out of concern of the safety
of the house and ongoing costs it was decided to shut off all utilities to lower the risk
of water usage for the property owner.
Moermond: do St. Paul Regional Water Services took that action based on heavy
usage. That typically means there was a leak or maybe someone left the water
running, or a toilet running.
Demarest: we’re concerned there’s something wrong with the house or a lot of people
entering using water who shouldn’t have been there.
Moermond: you hearing one thing vs. the Department of Safety and Inspections saying
another is even if there is a difference the written notice you received about the
condemnation prevails and you have appealed that. That’s where I land on that. With
respect to why it would be put in the Vacant Building program, I was listening for a
couple of things there. The three things I heard was it was found open to entry, no one
living there, and major visible code violations.
Dornfeld: vacant, secure by abnormal means, and multiple code violations
documented.
Moermond: the question becomes then is does it need to be a Category 2 Vacant
Building and have a Code Compliance Inspection Report and can the fee be waived to
allow repairs?