New Search
impossible), and at this point we are not inclined to do Mr. Berg any <br /> favors. Knowing this information, and under the impression by city <br /> officials that the house will be moved, my husband & I decide to make <br /> an offer on the house we now own. <br /> About a year goes by and still no movement on the house. Not even to <br /> cut the grass that had gotten to be at least 4 feet tall. The chain <br /> linked fence that surrounded the property was not locked and evidence <br /> of vagrancy was apparent underneath the house. On July 17th 2004 the <br /> window to our back door was broken and our house was successfully <br /> burgled. We found evidence that the intruder entered on the west side <br /> of our lot, next to the said house. On August 17th 2004 my husband and <br /> I being frustrated with the situation decided to pay the city offices a <br /> visit and find out what was happening with the said house. The city <br /> informed us that upon Mr Berg's receipt of the city notice of fines to <br /> be imposed, he made an appeal asking the city to refrain from fining <br /> him if he actively looked to find a way to gain street access so he may <br /> place the house. The city complied. My husband and I were outraged. We <br /> were of the impression by the knowledge given to us a year prior by <br /> city officials that Mr. Berg would have to move his house in a timely <br /> manner. The whole neighborhood was tired of having this unattractive, <br /> unsafe structure around us. So my husband and I filed an anonymous <br /> official complaint with the city. Within the following couple days we <br /> received a copy of the complaint letter that had been sent to Mr. Berg. <br /> The letter stated that he had 30 days to move the house, and if he <br /> failed to do so he would be fined $490.00 per day. September 17th came <br /> and still no movement on the house. I call my contact at city Planning <br /> & Development, Donna Nowakowski, and she informs me that Mr. Berg has <br /> made an appeal against the complaint. He is not being fined and still <br /> cannot gain street access. I ask her what is being done to resolve this <br /> and she does not have much information to give, except that Mr. Berg is <br /> looking into repaving the alley to be used as street access. I explain <br /> to her that the alley has been overgrown for many years now, and there <br /> are mature trees that would need to be cut, not to mention the EWEB <br /> electricity poles lining the alley. She cannot give me any answers at <br /> this point and her boss was dealing with the situation. She promises to <br /> call when she has more information, a promise which she never <br /> fulfilled, unless it was a return call to me from a message I had left. ,\ <br /> Mr. Berg also owns the house to the south of us at 1576 Jefferson <br /> Street. It is a house set up as a duplex with the second apartment \� <br /> towards the back of the driveway next to the garage. In late September <br /> I noticed some construction happening to the back apartment. It <br /> appeared that they were adding a fence to the back of the driveway to <br /> give the back apartment some privacy. This went on for several weeks. <br /> One day I peek out my window and see that their garage is completely <br /> torn down and the beams of a new larger apartment (living quarters, <br /> complete with windows) are already erected in it's place. I am enraged <br /> upon witnessing this because the new structure is 2 feet away from my <br /> fence line. I am convinced this cannot be up to city code so I place a l� <br /> call to city planning where they give me the number to their building & t <br /> permits department. I report the suspicious activity and find out that 1 <br /> Mr. Anson Berg was building without a permit. The gentleman I spoke <br /> with at the city placed a "stop work order" and filed them a fine for <br /> building without a permit. At this point I am eager for something to be <br /> done so I place calls to the city every two weeks for status updates on <br /> both properties. The last calls I made I discovered that Mr Berg was <br /> never fined for the construction without a permit at 1576 Jefferson <br /> Street (the city official stating that no fines were made because that <br /> property is "tied up" with the property adjacent in the alley at 1565 <br /> Jefferson Alley) and that there was no movement on 1565 Jefferson Alley <br /> except that Mr. Berg was starting to go through the very slow process <br /> of "possibly" creating / purchasing an easement from the city and now <br /> dealing with Public Works. Mr. Berg had gone to a Jefferson / Westside <br /> neighborhood meeting and asked that he be spared city fines. <br /> My husband & I are tired of getting the run - around from Mr. Berg and <br /> 3 <br />