"It's an eyesore:" Plans move forward to improve old nuisance property in Cudahy

CUDAHY -- Finally making some headway. After 11 years of problems, the City of Cudahy can finally move forward against a blighted property.

Neighbors call it an "eyesore." The mayor says the reason it looks like it does is because the most recent owner stripped it -- taking everything from the windows to the siding.

Leaving just the shell for the city to deal with, after five years of going back and forth with the county, they finally can.

"We've lived here four or five years and it still looks the same," said Kiva Wargolet, neighbor.

It's become a bit of a landmark for the neighbors, but not in a good way.

"It's an eyesore. If that gets finished it would be wonderful," said Wargolet.

Cudahy's mayor says they've been trying to do that for more than a decade. After a foreclosure they thought would happen in 2011, when a new owner bought it from the bank.

"We felt the property is now back on the right track," said Cudahy Mayor John Hohenfeldt.

Then the problems started from permit issues, then the owner disappeared altogether.

"In the meantime we're continuing to dedicate resources to cutting the grass, shoveling the snow, making sure the property is safe -- putting a watch on it, trying to find an owner that doesn't want to be found which is a waste of the taxpayer's money when somebody who appears walked away from the building," said Hohenfeldt.

Mayor John Hohenfeldt says the legal process required them to go to a Milwaukee County Circuit Court judge, who month after month refused to sign the order that would essentially let them appoint someone to take the property over instead made the city continue to search for the current owner who no longer was paying property taxes.

"It's not just affecting taxpayers in Cudahy, it's affecting all the taxing jurisdictions in Milwaukee County," said Hohenfeldt.

Finally, they got the green light to appoint an expert to determine what's next -- if it can be saved or torn down.

Mayor Hohenfeldt says they should have that answer in the next 30 to 90 days.