Serving Clovis, Portales and the Surrounding Communities
Serving Clovis, Portales and the Surrounding Communities
An apparently abandoned house in a residential section of Clovis with some windows and front door missing along with graffiti vandalism.
What can a neighbor do about a residence in their neighborhood that's been abandoned and is deteriorating? What if there are squatters?
"What can be done depends on the extent of the property damage and structure stability of the property," Pete Wilt wrote. Wilt is head of Clovis' Building Safety Department, the department in charge of code enforcement in the city.
Wilt wrote in an email response Tuesday some questions about the property that determine action on the situation.
"Have the doors and windows been kicked in or broken? Is the building structurally sound?" Wilt wrote.
In the hands of the city, the matter begins with communicating with the owner of the property.
"We will first look up the property owner of record, we will notify the owner of the violations, if there are any, and see if they are willing to fix the problem," Wilt wrote.
Wilt wrote his department just deals with the structure.
"If it is a hazardous location we can post the property unsafe and possibly condemn the property. Whether we tear down the building or secure it (board it up) depends on the condition of the property," Wilt wrote.
If squatters have taken up residence on the property another city department gets involved.
"That is a civil matter between the owners and occupants. A lot of times the police department will get involved with that," Wilt wrote.
"When called to a scene by inspections, officers will identify and (charge any offender with trespassing)," Clovis Police Department Capt. Roman Romero wrote in an e-mail.
Romero wrote "with abandoned/derelict residential properties, we coordinate with Mr. Wilt and inspections in (an) effort to find the most current owner to see if they will seal/correct issues at those properties."
"Most calls come from adjacent neighbors to the empty properties, neighbors who are concerned for their properties and their community's safety," Romero wrote.
Ninth Judicial District Attorney Quentin Ray responded to the question on squatters via text writing, "If law enforcement charges an individual with trespassing, our office will prosecute the case. We look into each individual situation and try to hold people accountable to the law."
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