Akron city attorneys have compiled records to help a man pursue damages against those who sold him a house that will be demolished next week.
The documents are contained in a letter sent Friday to Warner Mendenhall, the attorney of homeowner Larry Modic.
Among the documents compiled by the city is the property’s warranty deed, the original real estate listing, the title company and the identity of the attorney who wrote the deed.
The letter comes a day after a Summit County judge declined to stop the city’s efforts to demolish the Manchester Road house. Modic had sued the city to block the demolition.
In Friday’s letter, Law Director Cheri Cunningham reminds Mendenhall of the futility of the effort against the city and reiterates advice to take legal action against those originally involved in the property sale.
Modic has said he was not aware of housing code violations when he purchased the house in May for $10,000. He said he was also not aware that years of unfixed issues meant the city was ready to demolish the house.
Modic, 57, an Army veteran, did not appear at a September housing appeals board meeting, and the board voted to condemn the house.
Under city law, Modic had 30 days to appeal that decision, but he did not. On Jan. 15, he was taken into custody by police and transported to an Akron mental health facility for treatment after he had threatened officials over the demolition.
The city has agreed to let Modic and some volunteers enter the house today to remove belongings. Demolition of the home could come as early as next week.
