Report on fire-damaged duplex shows progress, but attorney warns effort could fall short of saving structure

Work is expected to be underway quickly on this duplex on North Seventh Street Court in northeastern La Cygne. Fire damage to the structure in April opened up a host of safety issues with the house. (Journal file photo)

By Roger Sims, Journal staff

linncountyjournal.com

LA CYGNE – At the La Cygne City Council meeting on Wednesday, July 1, Tony Lenci, a fire restoration contractor with Kansas City, Mo.-based Hazpro, and Andrea Kincaid, who represents the property owner Casey Kincaid, met with the council to give an update on the work being done on the duplex at 825 N. Seventh Street Court. In June the council held a hearing on whether to condemn the structure, outlined steps that needed to be taken to prevent condemnation, and asked the owner to give a progress report at the July 1 meeting

At Wednesday’s meeting, Lenci said he had been hired to repair the fire damage to Unit A of the duplex and that 78% of the damage would be paid for by Allstate Insurance company to repair roof and siding damage caused by the fire. The remainder would be paid for by the owner.

And while the report was a positive step in returning the structure to habitable condition, City Attorney Jeff Deane reminded Lenci and Kincaid that ultimately it must be determined that the cost of rehabilitating the structure must not exceed 50% of the structure’s market value. If it does exceed that, city code requires that the structure be demolished, he warned.

He also reminded them that the owner must pay for an independent appraisal of the property. A council member asked if a website estimation of the property’s value could be used, and Deane said that it needed to be a certified appraiser.

While the fire in Unit A damaged the roof and siding, the problems with the structure came to light when city officials inspected the duplex following the blaze and discovered structural problems in Unit A created by faulty construction, electrical wiring that was done haphazardly, and basement bedrooms without a sufficient emergency escape route.

It was also discovered during that inspection that wiring in Unit B did not comply with the standard electrical code. Kincaid told the council that Evergy would be installing an electric meter and that a Paola-based licensed electrician would inspect the corrected work to make sure it was done properly.

Despite the progress being made on the structure, city codes officer Zachary Mathies reminded Kincaid and Lenci that the city’s order to strip drywall from the walls in Unit A remained in effect. That is so that officials can readily inspect construction methods used when the second story was added to the unit.

At the July 1 meeting, Mathies also provided the council with a report from a forensic engineer hired by Allstate. The report noted that the structure fire on April 14 was the third of three fires that have occurred over the past three years.

The inspection not only covered the fire damage but also looked at the loose and open electrical wiring and structural problems including spliced floor joists that supported the second floor living quarters as well as lack of ready access from the basement to outside the structure. That report essentially confirmed a report the city earlier received from ITBS on the structural flaws on Unit B.

The city is requiring ongoing updates as work on the structure progresses.