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How do I get my grandmothers house condemned?
My family has tried to help my grandmother fix her house but it is beyond repair. Her house is coming up out of the ground, you can see the foundation outside. Most of the rooms don't have electricity, so she has lamps. She refuses to move in with other family members or get another place because she's been living in her house for 40 years and spent a lot of money on it and doesn't want to leave it. She is 80 years old and refuses to get help. Her walls in the house are splitting, she now has water leaking all over the house and won't call a plumber or electrician because they cost too much and she doesn't want to get her house condemned.
She's a hoarder and has junk all over the house piled up in most rooms. She has roaches REALLY BAD and she has rats. She has holes in the ceiling and she throws food all over the kitchen. She can't cook because the gas isn't on. she refuses to throw away junk and trash.
There's no gas, no bad plumbing and the kitchen and bathroom are beyond repair. Also there's mold growing out of the vents and she has rats living in the attic. The electricity works but the electrical wiring isn't proper and she's has to run like 5 heaters & fans, a computer and 3 TV's off of extension cords because most of the plugs don't work, not to mention lamps.
Famiy has welcomed her to stay with them if she please, it's not healthy for her to stay in that house. The restroom is gross and she has to heat up water to wash off and she has to pour water in the toilet to flush it.
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Older people get fixated or stuck in their ways. It does not mean they suffer for dementia although it is possible. To get your grandmother the proper help you have to seek the help of her doctor plus the services offered by the state, county or city.
The Doctor: Do you know if her doctor believes she is capable of living on her own? It is a bit tricky to find this out as the doctor by law can only discuss this with those your grandmother has given the doctor written permission to do so. The written permission is called the HIPPA disclosure. You will have to call the doctors office to see who is listed as who information can be disclosed to.
If no one is listed then you would need to type up a letter from you grandmother to the doctor authorizing you or your parents to see and discuss her medical records. You would then have to see if your grandmother would sign it.
Condemning the house: The quickest way I know of would be to ask the local fire department to make a courtesy inspection. If things are as bad as you have written they can start the proceedings by calling the local Fire Marshal who can declare the house unsafe and uninhabitable and condemn it. Most fire department, be they paid or volunteer type will do this inspection if asked.
Once that is done then the different government services kick in as ten she will be technically homeless.
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If your grandmother is 80 years old it is possible that she is starting to experience some dementia. She is in a very unsafe environment right now and she needs to be removed as soon as possible. Your parents(or their siblings) need to step in and take over her affairs. She is obviously no longer capable of making good decisions for herself. They need to have her checked out by a doctor to determine the cause of her behaviors. If her doctors decide that she is capable of living on her own then your parents could find her a small easy to care for apartment and bring only the things she needs from her house. It sounds like she will need a lot of checking up on. If there is an agency on aging and home nursing available to her those may be some services that her doctor will recommend as well. I don't think the house needs to be condemned in order to get her out. In some areas once a house is condemned then the owners only have so long to repair it or have it demolished. This could put additional financial and emotional stress on your family. I think if your parents get the agency on aging involved they will help to go through the courts if necessary to get her removed from there and into safe housing. You are a very caring granddaughter and your grandma is very lucky to have someone who cares about her so much! Good luck with this!
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