From a Citizen who wants to see this property cleaned up:

This property is located in the deeded community of North Woods. Recently a shirtless man was seen in the home, all windows have been bashed out and the doors are broken open. There are many children in the neighborhood and Edmunds elementary school is located around the corner. This is a nice neighborhood and it is very upsetting to see a property abandoned like this.

We suggest you call Licenses and Inspections (dial 311) and report the property as unsafe.  If you get no response, call your Ward Leader and/or City Councilperson – Maria Quinones-Sanchez – until appropriate action is taken.

Thanks for contributing to Abandoned Philadelphia!

From a Citizen who wants to see this property cleaned up:

Not only does it need to be cleaned up, but the doors are broken, the outside is a mess and the steps are broken.  No one is living in the house nor do they come to make sure its ok. It is really an eyesore. Don’t even know if someone could be inside. You need to see it to believe it.

Submitted by a Citizen, who would like to see the property cleaned up.

Owners: Evelyn & Vivian C. Jenkins
Their address listed is not this property. 

Date of last sale: 10/5/1981 for $1

Taxes Due: $17,576, last paid in 1994 (according to the OPA)

Without going into much research, we would guess the current owners inherited the property, and then either moved away and/or died.

If this property is unsafe and/or causing a public nuisance, contact Licenses and Inspections (dial 311), your Block Captain, Ward Leader, City Council person.  Make noise until someone takes action.

From a Citizen:

The current owner of the house has not come to check up on the place for at least 5 months, there are no doors, the stench is unbearable and at night since there is no security who knows what that house is being used for.

Abandoned Philadelphia Writes:

Owners: Jeffrey and Victoria Vogel

The Deed recites that the property was purchased on April 15, 1999 from Victoria Vogel’s mother, Yvette Halawani.  Although executed in 1999, the deed was not recorded in the Philadelphia Recorder of Deeds until August 6, 2004. Curious.  We have often wondered why someone would execute a deed and not bother to record it until years later.

Purchase Price $10,000

The really interesting thing about this property is that it was bought for $10,000 in 1999, the deed recorded in August 2004, and in November 2004 a lender put a $51,600 mortgage on it. I wonder if the mortgage is current?

The Vogels’ home address, as listed in 2004, shows more than  $11,000 in back taxes.

We suggest immediate and repeated calls to Licenses and Inspections, City Councilwoman Marian Tasco, 49th Ward Leader (Democratic-Shirley Gregory (215) 389-4627, Republican-Elizabeth Blong (215) 329-7248) , Block Captain, anyone else willing to listen, to get the City take appropriate action in addressing the safety issues.

Thanks for the reader submission, but the address submitted, 3748 Palaski Street, does not exist in Philadelphia. There is a Pulaski Avenue, but no address 3748.

Please, readers, be sure to get the address right.  You can always check an address at the City’s Office of Property Assessment site, found HERE.  Once on the site, you will see much useful information about the owner, when the property last sold, and the current taxes.

From the Philadelphia OPA: http://www.phila.gov/revenue/RealEstateTax/Default.aspx?txtBRTNo=111221500

Owner – Gertrude Sayles

Real Estate Tax Balance Information

According to the public records:

Owner: Frank Williams
Taxes due: $18,199
Last paid: 1985

This property was conveyed to the current owner in 1985 for $1 by Earl D. Springer, legatee under the Will of Raymond E. Springer . It appears taxes have not been paid on this property since it was conveyed.

According to Zillow, there is activity in this neighborhood. See Zillow report here.

For information about this or any other topics concerning abandoned and/or vacant property in Philadelphia, contact Abandoned Philadelphia at (215) 592-9595 or vacant@abandonedphiladelphbia.com.

We are certain any effort by the City will have its challenges, and we are not sure this it the right approach, but it seems the current slate of City Council members are serious about doing something to correct the problem.

Ordinances introduced in City Council by Maria Quinones-Sanchez and Bill Green are designed to fix Philadelphia’s broken land management systems by creating one focused new agency, a land bank, and give it the authority to acquire tax delinquent properties as it chooses.

via – PlanPhilly: Should city bank on land bills that finally lay down the law?