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Rental house falling into sinkhole will be demolished
BATON ROUGE - A rental house with a growing sinkhole underneath it will soon be demolished. The City-Parish investigated, following an inquiry from 2 On Your Side and determined it would be the best option.
The homeowner received the news last week and says he's ready to wash his hands of the mess and move on with his life.
"They say they're going to take care of it, instead of me," said Jesse Hayes. "They going to take care of it."
The rental property was built by a previous owner but the City-Parish says it was improperly constructed on the servitude over a sewer line.
Hayes used to use the extra property for additional income but no one has been living in it for years. There's a big hole where the kitchen once was and the structure's foundation is separated from everything else. Hayes predicts the hole under the rent house is at least eight feet deep.
Records with the City-Parish show that Hayes has called to request service. Three weeks ago, 2 On Your Side discovered an address mix-up in 2016 fixed someone else's problem and left his wide open.
The City-Parish says it's going to demolish the rental house and fix the problem underground. The structure cannot be rebuilt but Hayes will have access to more yard and driveway.
The City-Parish is working on a timeline with Hayes to remove his property.