Demolish the House?

[Capri]

Posssibly the landlord wouldn't want to replace the house, even if funds were available. After all, a horrible act took place there, and I wouldn't blame him if he just wants to tear it down. No reflection on Zahra, either, I don't think her time spent there was happy at all (to say the least). Why would she want the house kept? We'll never know that.

Ultimately, the property owner has the decision to make, and wasn't he also the owner of the Tahoe that was doused with gas(which is I'm sure rendered useless at this point? He has not come out of this unscathed. Not to mention, it became personal to him, and his family, I'm sure, when he and his daughter were directly mentioned in the ransom note. It became personal the moment Elisa Baker admittedly wrote, "You like to be in control", that's a grudge, for whatever reason. So, whatever the land owner feels like he needs to do, so be it.

 

[Belinda]

I can totally understand it if he wants to demolish the house. Still, he should be compensated for his losses.

 

[Mountain_Kat]

Posssibly the landlord wouldn't want to replace the house, even if funds were available. After all, a horrible act took place there, and I wouldn't blame hime if he just wants to tear it down. No reflection on Zahra, either, I don't think her time spent there was happy at all (to say the least). Why would she want the house kept? We'll never know that.

Ultimately, the property owner has the decision to make, and wasn't he also the owner of the Tahoe that was doused with gas(which is I'm sure rendered useless at this point? He has not come out of this unscathed. Not to mention, it became personal to him, and his family, I'm sure, when he and his daughter were directly mentioned in the ransom note. It became personal the moment Elisa Baker admittedly wrote, "You like to be in control", that's a grudge, for whatever reason. So, whatever the land owner feels like he needs to do, so be it.

Ugh, I forgot that he also has to absorb the cost of the repairs to the tahoe. Not to mention the fact that it may have contained Zahra's remains at some point. I doubt the landlord would ever again want to drive that vehicle if and when it is released back to him.

Honestly, my heart just goes out to this poor man. Innocent in all of this, and yet he's paying such a price.

 

[daisy7]

Any sleuthing of the landlord needs to stop NOW.

 

[impatientredhead]

I wonder if homeowner's insurance would cover something like this? I would suspect not, but there has to be some way to compensate these victims. I can't believe the system is set up that the innocent must absorb the cost of the police action. Maybe the police department itself pays for this? However, I think if he was going to be compensated for repairs, he wouldn't be considering tearing it down due to the cost of the repairs. This really bothers me. This man did nothing wrong and shouldn't have to pay the price for what others have done.

If he is insured, which on a rental property the structure should be, he will be compensated. The county will reimburse you for damage done during a search (if you are not the criminal) but that will all take time.

And neither party is going to pay to demolish and replace the structure because it would make anyone feel better. If the cost of repairs exceed the value it would be totalled like a vehicle would be. If it can be repaired it will be.

Still unfair to him, but hopefully he is insured.

 

[NcMomma]

Apparently, he is considering tearing down the house!

Saturday, Coffey was heard telling a small group of people at the house that he is considering bulldozing it. He said repairing the house would not be cost-effective because Hickory police did an estimated $30,000 in damage to the 900-square-foot house when they removed sections of the walls during their search for evidence of what happened to Zahra.

http://www2.hickoryrecord.com/news/2010/nov/22/zahra-memorial-taken-down-ar-557303/

 

[NcMomma]

Sorry Capri.....didn't read back far enough to see that you already posted this! Spending the whole morning with 24 7 yr olds has fried my brain...lol

 

[WhyaDuck?]

Sorry Capri.....didn't read back far enough to see that you already posted this! Spending the whole morning with 24 7 yr olds has fried my brain...lol

IMO, spending the morning with 24 7 year olds should win you a medal.

I only have one 2 year old, and that's quite enough for me in a morning.

 

[NcMomma]

Just helping my youngest boy's class with their poetry day and celebration. They are soo cute but soooo loud!! LOL I love it though! Enjoy that 2 year old. They grow too fast! My oldest is 22!!

 

[tlcya]

I really have no opinion as to what the landlord should do with the house. I think he should do whatever he needs to try to get his life back to some sort of normalcy. I think it is completely none of my business what he chooses to do with or to the property.

 

[Oriah]

Has the house been released to the homeowner from evidence? I don't recall seeing that anywhere yet. Sorry if it's already been posted.

 

[strawberry]

IMHO.. The owner of that house should take a loss and tear it down...NOW
Some type of memorial dedicated to Zahra should be put in place on the site....JMHO

That's what the Amish did near here a few years ago at that horrible school shooting. They demolished the schoolhouse and built another on a different site. I think it was very cathartic to demolish it. There was talk of burning it but I'm pretty sure they just took it down...the opposite of a barn raising, a bunch of them just got together and did it.

 

[drip~drop]

I have an idea.. Why not donate in Zahras name to a childhood cancer research group?

This is a VERY excellent idea.
Donate in Zahras name!

 

[DLT88]

This is a VERY excellent idea.
Donate in Zahras name!

Or something like the Ronald McDonald house.

 

[panthera]

Apparently, he is considering tearing down the house!

Saturday, Coffey was heard telling a small group of people at the house that he is considering bulldozing it. He said repairing the house would not be cost-effective because Hickory police did an estimated $30,000 in damage to the 900-square-foot house when they removed sections of the walls during their search for evidence of what happened to Zahra.

http://www2.hickoryrecord.com/news/2010/nov/22/zahra-memorial-taken-down-ar-557303/

I do not blame him one bit. Not only would he have the large expense of repairing the house, but would also face the distinct possibility that he wouldn't be able to rent or sell it for anywhere near what he would've invested. MOO

 

[Breathe]

I wish he would have left the tree standing (for many reasons) but would have gladly helped donated money for him to build a fence around the property for privacy. But it wasn't my decision and until I walk a mile in his moccasins.....

 

[Verity]

I think Zahra will be honored in another way, but making the property into a park is not on this owner's agenda. It would be a very rare person who can afford to throw away anything as valuable as a house! And if it was on his agenda to make it a memorial, logic dictates he wouldn't have removed the one already there.

I would expect interior renovation to start immediately the loss adjuster has done the inspection for an insurance claim. He may want to add a new coat of paint to the outside, plant new trees, shrubs, and flowers to make the property look fresh, like it’s no longer associated with its past.

There are people who would be happy to live in this house for a discounted rent, others who wouldn't even look at it at any price and surprisingly perhaps, some people who have never heard of Zahra and know nothing about its past.

I would expect this house to be back on the rental market before the end of the year, or listed for sale. Whether it sells or not and for how much for is anybody's guess, but I can certainly understand this landlord wanting to get it repaired and re-rented before any trial.

REALTOR Field Guide to Dealing With Stigmatized Properties

 

[westsidefox64]

I say this house was never a home to Zahra it was a house of horrors for her. Her Happy life was in OZ. Build a park or start an abuse treatment center there where Zahra was happy! I say tear this place down and recoup what you can mr landlord! This was an unhappy place...memorialise Zahra where everyone loved her not here where she was abused! JMO

 

[simlyme]

i say this house was never a home to zahra it was a house of horrors for her. Her happy life was in oz. Build a park or start an abuse treatment center there where zahra was happy! I say tear this place down and recoup what you can mr landlord! This was an unhappy place...memorialise zahra where everyone loved her not here where she was abused! Jmo

exactly!!

 

[dar107]

http://www2.hickoryrecord.com/news/2010/nov/23/we-can-love-zahra-without-house-ar-559862/

We can love Zahra without that house

Snip:

"We still do not know for sure if Zahra ever lived there. The details of her last days and death have not been divulged.

Coffey said he would not remove the shrine to Zahra from the property. That was before hate messages began to pop up in the yard and the house was vandalized.

Hickory police investigators had damaged the interior of the house in removing evidence pertinent to Zahra’s disappearance.

The damage was necessary. Coffey understands that. He wants the case solved, as do we.

But even without the damage, the vandalism and the hate signs, we could not think that Coffey would never try to reclaim the property he paid for and rented to Zahra’s parents in good faith.

Realistically, all of us knew the shrine would be removed, in time."