Council baffled by abandoned house mystery

Moorcroft’s council is attempting, once again, to address the abandoned trailer houses and buildings in town, this time with attention directed to a specific residence on North Powder River Avenue.

After accomplishing the removal of the abandoned and wrecked trailer across the street from this property, the town is working to have this singlewide removed and the lot cleaned up.

The trailer has not been occupied for around 15 years and the owner is willing to give the structure to whomever would pull it away, according to Councilwoman Heidi Humpal.

The lot, however, is a different issue. The town has repeatedly sent notices of violation of the nuisance ordinance to the former owner of record regarding the unmowed weeds that, until recently, stood several feet high.

This property had been behind in taxes and an unknown individual or agency has paid and continue to pay the taxes without transferring the title to their name. According to Moorcroft Police Chief Bill Bryant, “We don’t have a clue [as to their names] because the clerks won’t release that until they’ve filed it.”

Town Attorney Pat Carpenter explained the only available option to council at Wednesday’s meeting.

“I think the town’s only recourse is to go do the cleanup ourselves and we won’t be reimbursed for it… We can do the work and put a lien on the property, [but] we would sit in line with any other lien holders and the odds are, we would never get paid for that work,” he said.

“So, I guess it depends on what it’s going to cost and how bad we want to get it done and are we willing to do it without possibility of reimbursement? That’s up to the council.”

The governing body made no decision on how to continue with this issue at last week’s meeting and the lot has been mowed by persons unknown as of this report.