Local News

Habitual Violators Given the Boot

(La Porte, IN) - Some La Porte residents near Clear Lake will have to find another place to stay because of longstanding major problems with behavior at the residence.

 

After served a 10 day notice, Code Enforcement Director Jeff Batchelor said the people at 332 Clear Lake Boulevard must be out by August 1.

 

For several years, officials said the residence has generated numerous calls to the police and other emergency responders for things ranging from drugs to violence.

 

Batchelor said police responded there more than 20 times already this year.

 

“One of the guys there got attacked with a hatchet and had two of his fingers cut off.  There was two or three drug overdoses.  There was calls for drugs, domestics, ordinance violations. Just a wide variety of everything at that house,” Batchelor said.

The residents own the home.

 

However, Batchelor said homeowners can be forced out by condemning the property if undesirable activity keeps happening under the city’s nuisance ordinance.

 

Batchelor said the owner can sell the property but is not allowed to go back and live there after moving out. 

 

He also noted the residents were approached many times about the happenings there, but the problematic activity kept going on which lead to condemnation of the property. 

 

Mayor Tom Dermody said people living near places like that shouldn’t have to tolerate it.

 

“People in the city of La Porte are going to feel safe, and people who don’t want to follow the rules, Jeff is going to address them. The police are going to address them.  We’re not going to accept that kind of behavior in the city of La Porte,” Dermody said.

 

Batchelor said it’s not the first time the city has forced a property owner to move out under the nuisance ordinance.

 

The recent action stems from a commitment to clean up neighborhoods in various ways by Dermody before he became mayor in 2020.

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