City of Atlanta Mistakenly Tears Down Home, Then Sues The Owner For $68,000 in Demolition Costs
Notices sent by the city that the house was deemed unfit for habitation were mailed to the wrong address
An Atlanta man says the city mistakenly tore down his home, and now it's trying to foreclose on the property to pay a massive bill for the demolition, according to a report.
Homeowner Everett Tripodis told WSB-TV he was stunned when he received a lawsuit from the city informing him that it intends to foreclose and take the now vacant property in southwest Atlanta.
“When I saw that come from the city, I was quite excited. Maybe it was a letter of apology. Maybe it was a check. Maybe they’re going to justly compensate me. I opened it up and realized that they were suing me,” Tripodis told the station.
“I’m not going to let the city take this from me. I’m going to fight them tooth and nail,” he said, adding that he has sued the city.
The report said that the city began sending notices in March - before the demolition - that a city inspector had found the house unfit for habitation, but the certified letters were "returned to sender" because they were mailed to the wrong address.
The notices were sent to Lawton Avenue in ZIP code 30314; Tripodis' home is on Lawton Street in the 30310 ZIP code - nearly 1.5 miles away.
- Workers Demolish Wrong House While Owner Is Off on Vacation
- Atlanta Approves $90 Million Funding for ‘Cop City’ Despite Community Backlash
- Kids as Young as 3 Mistakenly Served Shots at Popular Atlanta Restaurant
- Police Fire Teargas, Smoke to Disperse Protesters Trying to Halt Atlanta ‘Cop City’ Training Center
- US Soccer Announces Plans for New National Training Center in Atlanta
- Woman Eats 48 Oysters on Date at Atlanta Restaurant. Owner Says That’s Nothing New
The station reported that a review of the city's demolition process presented in April to city council found that some property owners had no idea their homes were on the demolition list.
Despite the city being aware of the problems, the lawsuit to Tripodis argues the "property should be sold at public outcry unless one or more of the interested parties tenders the full redemption amount.”
That bill is $68,368.01.
“After you air the story, after everyone sees it, instead of them fixing the problem, they double down and do it again. It’s like after the slap comes the spit in my face. I’m just frustrated,” Tripodis said.
His lawsuit against the city is making its way through the Fulton County court system, even though he only has a few weeks to respond to the city's foreclosure suit.
The mayor's office is reviewing the matter, the station reported.
- Infant Dies After Arizona Mother Gives Her NyQuil, Melatonin and Leaves Her Alone for Nearly 2 Days: PoliceNews
- Checkers Ordered to Pay Thousands in Back Wages to Overworked Teens Who Were Clocked Out by Managers While Still WorkingNews
- Mystery Surrounds Abandoned 35-Foot Boat Found Washed Ashore at Los Angeles BeachNews
- Watch: ‘Tidy’ Mouse Helps Retired Mailman Keep His Shed Organized and CleanNews
- Epstein Victim Described Intimate Details of Donald Trump’s Alleged Sexual Proclivities — Then Recanted: Court DocsNews
- Florida Teacher Found Dead on Turnpike Possibly Ejected From Moving Vehicle, Police SayNews
- Construction Crew Traps Car Inside Scaffolding After Owner Refused to Move ItNews
- Now You Can Play ‘Trivial Pursuit’ Online With an Infinite Number of AI-Generated QuestionsTech
- Canadian Cannabis Growers Have Destroyed Millions of Pounds of PotBusiness
- Samsung’s ‘Ballie’ Is a Rolling Robot Projector That Can Help Control Your HomeTech
- Cartel Drone Attack Kills Six in Remote Mexican Community: ReportNews
- Soccer Player Struck by Stray Bullet During Match From ‘Freak Hunting Accident’ in Nearby WoodsNews
