Brookside house

[Kendrick]

This may be too small for consideration, but I am curious if anyone has insight into what's planned for a recently demolished property between Brookside Boulevard and St. Theresa's on what might be 57th Terrace. The three-story, run-down house was recently for sale with an asking price approaching $300,000, if my memory serves. I guess I just wondered if Wornall Homestead is the new home of tear-downs, or if the house was structurally unsound. And I wonder what kind of house will replace it, if any. Thanks.

[studentper]

What's the address?  Input the address into http://kivaweb.kcmo.org/kivanet/2/index.cfm  --this is the city's permitting system online and you can find out about code violations and active building permits.  Now I want to drive by--haven't noticed any houses gone in the area.

[markf]

The house you're referring to is on 56th Terrace between Brookside Boulevard and Main.  That's actually Countryside and not Wornall Homestead.

I'm told the house had been a codes problem for years.  I'm also told the person that bought it is going to build an in-fill in the style and scale to fit the neighborhood.  I hope that is true but I'm sure the quality and building materials used will be nowhere near the early 20th century structures that surround it.

I too was saddened to see it go but I didn't find out about it until after it had already been torn down.  We can't keep destroying our housing stock and then wondering why there's a suburban style three-car garage with attached living quarters in the middle of a historic neighborhood.

[Pastense]

Tear-downs aren't always the worst thing. Take a look at the new home at Locust and Crestwood just south of the Oak & 55th Street intersection. It replaced a house that defied rehabilitation.

[shinatoo]

I almost bought that house last fall with the intention of fixing it up. But I estimate that it was going to be upwords of 150k if I did all the work myself. And there really was nothing of intrest like old woodwork, there was a OK fireplace downstairs. The other problem was deviding up the floor sapce was going to be dificult the way the stairs were put in.

Plus major water damage, a poorly done addition and foundation problems. The hardwood floors were trashed.

The guy who owned it bought it off the courthouse steps for about 205k. A well designed house on that lot that fits the neighborhood should fetch up to 500K.

If I only had that kind of money.

[Kendrick]

Thanks for the feedback. Indeed, it was 56th Terr. I drove by it again today. It's amazing how fast houses can be torn down. They've got a trench dug along the street, I assume to tear out or run fresh, the utility lines. I had noticed it because I'm actively looking for the next project, something just livable enough to move my wife and son into, but enough work to keep me busy for two years. I thought that might be a candidate. If I squinted real hard, I could sort of block out the wooden fire escape that ran up the right side and could pretend the front porch was again open-air. Ah, well. You all don't have a line on the humongous wreck at 59th and Grand, do you?

[Thaine]

NE corner of 59th and Grand is pretty special.  Belongs to a nit-wit and his half-sister by virtue of an inheritance, is my understanding. 

Sister is one of those garage sale nuts who has filled the entire place with crap.  Guessing one of these days it will get bad enough and the City will tear it down.

That house has been very bad for at least six years.

[Tosspot]

NE corner of 59th and Grand is pretty special.  Belongs to a nit-wit and his half-sister by virtue of an inheritance, is my understanding. 

That made me titter and guffaw aloud, much to the auditory delight of my cat. Thanks.

[studentper]

5845 Grand. really close to my house. rat-infested bain of my existence. 

it belongs to some guy living in California.  His sister sued him to take posession of the house, but lost.  It's been condemned for the last 3 or so years, which is a blessing, because at least the sister and her husband don't live there any more.  Two years ago, the owner actually painted the entire house with a four inch brush to bring it to its present state of disrepair.  (Why the tree planted two feet from the SW corner of the house won't fall on it is beyond me.)

The city, thank you inspector S.Bowman, is doing absolutely nothing.  The dangerous building deparment (real name?) thinks the house is in fine structural shape--the engineer, and i use the term loosely, stood in the yard and told me that the lathe and plaster we were looking at from the outside of the house was structurally sufficient to support the home.

[Thaine]

5845 was not condemned as a dangerous building, it was and remains, posted as unsafe to occupy.

[studentper]

Wrong use of the technical word "condemn" on my part. 

Pursuant to Sec 56-532(10), the building is a dangerous building, "because of inadequate maintenance, dilapidation, decay, damage, faulty construction or arrangement, trash, filth, inadequate light, air ventilation or sanitation facilities, or otherwise is determined to be unsafe, unsanitary, unfit for human habitation, or in such a condition that is likely to cause sickness or disease." 

You are correct to note it was not condemned as a dangerous building, but merely posted as unsafe to occupy.

[markf]

studentper,

It sounds like you know a little bit about the owner.  Is he interested in selling or just refusing all offers?  It breaks my heart to see a beautiful house like that left to rot.

[studentper]

The owner is Rodney Johnstone.  His last address was 6701 LANKERSHIM BLVD, N. HOLLYWOOD, CA 91606-1614.  However, his attorney in kansas city is QUINN , DONALD JOSEPH II , Attorney for Defendant, COMMERCE BANK BUILDING, 8901 STATE LINE STE 232, KANSAS CITY, MO 64114, Business: (816) 444-7474.  I do not think that he wants to sell, but you may want to contact his lawyer.  I would be shocked beyond belief if the house could be saved at this point, but you would be the neighborhoods best friend ever.

[Thaine]

I'm not sure he has the ability to convey the property without his sister's permission.  If you contact Mr. Quinn, you'll want to ask him that question.

[studentper]

Mr. Johnstone is the sole owner of record, and his sister lost her court battle to wrest control of the property from him at both the trial court and on appeal.

If you get any info from Mr. Quinn, please post or email me, I'd be interested in learning more.

[Thaine]

I'm not really argumentative or picky like that, but Johnstone's half-sister, even though she lost (abandoned?)the quiet-title suit, still may have an interest in the property as a tenant.  She's got a ton of sh&t in there. 

You would not want to buy the property and then find out you have to evict that fat-a*s after giving her notice.

[studentper]

Not argumentative, but dang, certainly picky.  

I wouldn't think she's a tenant, becuase the property cannot have a tenant.  In fact, the owner himself has to ask permission to enter the property and has to grant third parties permission in writing to acces the property.  Also, as you point out, the lower court quieted title in the name of Mr. Johnstone.  The lower court also gave the half-(didn't know that)-sister and her husband access to the property about a year ago to clean out her stuff.  Whether she did so is probably not relevant given she had the opportunity to do so. 

However, I will grant you the half-sister is a little...let's all be charitable and say "off."  If one were to buy the property, I would not be surprised to find her on the front lawn, generally making trouble.

That said, I hope someone buys the monstrosity and fixes it up or tears it down.  The same house (fixed up, but without the upstairs addition that 5845 Grand has) is for sale at 5745 Grand for, I think, $430,000.