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1508 Avondale Avenue
Richmond, Virginia 23227
July 14, 1998

BY FACSIMILE: 780-6948

Mr. Dyett Ellis
Housing Code Enforcement
City of Richmond
900 East Broad Street
Richmond, Virginia 23219

RE: Action File No. 97-008699
1410 Avondale Avenue

Dear Mr. Ellis:

Since I wrote to you about this building on June 1, a "sold" sign has gone up out front. Otherwise the building looks to be unchanged, i.e., an affront to our peaceful neighborhood. It seeks to create a blighted and unsafe environment, in contravention of Item II.L of the Public Safety section of Council’s Mission Statement.

Your earlier Notice of Violation of November 4, 1997 advised the owner that "abatement of all violations must occur by 12/04/97" and that "[t]he property will be reinspected upon expiration of the compliance date to ensure compliance with the requirements of this notice." In fact, you did not reinspect until May 19, 1998, after I had complained in writing. Your second Notice of Violation, dated May 21, 1998, advised the owner that "abatement of all violations must occur by 06/22/98" and that "[t]he property will be reinspected upon expiration of the compliance date to ensure compliance with the requirements of this notice."

We are now 23 days past this second deadline, and the building remains a nuisance. Today I learned from Mr. Schanz of your staff that the closing originally set for June 30 still has not taken place. Mr. Schanz says he is pleased at the cooperative attitude of the would-be owner, and he seems to be willing to await the closing, whenever it may take place.

I write to tell you my view that this ongoing failure to deal with the problem is not acceptable. If you have not acted definitively by the day your deadline is thirty days stale (i.e., by July 22), I shall file a nuisance complaint under the authority of Va. Code § 48-1. I then will see that the matter is brought to the attention both of a grand jury and of City Council.

Please thank Mr. Schanz of your staff for his help courtesy in this matter.

With kindest regards, I am

Sincerely,

John R. Butcher

 cc: Winnie Cobb

        Robert Shawn Majette, Esq.
        Thompson & McMullan, PC
        100 Shockoe Slip
        Richmond, Virginia 23219
        Fax: 780-1813

D:\Office Files\_Bellevue\1410 Avondale\Ellis 980714.Doc

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Last updated 02/24/02
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