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Windsor Deals With Abandoned Homes From Tornado

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Sep 17, 2008 7:59 pm US/Mountain

Windsor Deals With Abandoned Homes From Tornado

Reporting
Mike Hooker
WINDSOR, Colo. (CBS4) ― Four months after the tornado that ripped apart Windsor, dilapidated and dangerous homes still litter the landscape.

More than 130 homes, at last count, are possibly abandoned. That means about a third of the tornado-damaged properties in Windsor have essentially gone untouched. The town isn't sure if the homes are abandoned or if the owners are simply waiting for insurance money or a contractor.

The town says the most concerning is a smaller group of about 30 homes that suffered the worst damage.

Officials have been painting a red "X" on houses that they say show no progress.

"There's a sign that says 'unsafe,'" Dawn Jaeger with the Town of Windsor said.

The homes haven't had permits processed for reconstruction.

"Maybe they are going to take out money that they get from the insurance and invest in another property," Jaeger said.

With serious construction next to the abandoned, destroyed homes, some residents who have rebuilt wonder what's going to happen.

"As far as some of the houses that haven't been touched, we have no idea what's going on with them, if anybody is coming home," resident Sandy Roby said. "If they are having insurance problems; that could be part of it."

Roby worries the empty houses are dangerous.

"The kids might get curious and go inside," she said. "We don't know if they are safe or not."

Jaeger said the town is trying to contact property owners and they are considering options, including tearing the buildings down.

"We're not looking to be the bad guys here, we are just trying to make sure our town is safe, and that it gets rebuilt," Jaeger said.

In the short term, the town says the safety of children is the top concern and they are considering putting fencing around the properties before winter rolls in because snow could collapse the roofs.

(© MMIX CBS Television Stations, Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)

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