TOLEDO, Ohio — WTOL's 11 Investigates team continues to hear from Toledoans stuck in a cycle of blight. There are currently 506 properties in the City of Toledo scheduled for demolition.
Sometimes it can be structurally impossible to demolish blight. North Toledo resident Steven Zawodni knows what it's like to receive the short end of the stick. Zawodni's family has owned a condo in the Historic Vistula neighborhood for decades.
After a 2015 structure fire damaged his town home and four others attached to it, he and his neighbors were faced with a life-altering financial decision: reinvest the insurance money to rebuild their condos or take the money and build a new life elsewhere.
Zawodni is the only one who chose to stay.
"The fire department came out and put it out within minutes, but there was extensive water damage. The fire started in the attic but there was water damage everywhere," said Zawodni.
He didn't know that eventually he'd be the only one to reinvest and rebuild.
"The other people were going to get theirs' rebuilt as well but one by one they started choosing to take the insurance money instead of rebuilding," he continued.
Zawodni admits that it's a mixed bag. The interior of his home is perfect in his eyes. Every room is recently remodeled exactly how he wants it. At the same time, everything around him on the exterior is deteriorating. The only thing Zawodni has to do is walk outside to reminded of the fire that started this journey.
But he doesn't have hard feelings and holds no ill will toward his former neighbors.
"I can't really blame them," said Zawodni. "You know with the neighborhood being a transitional neighborhood, I guess they thought it was a good enough opportunity for them to leave, you know, and find somewhere else to live."
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11 Investigates has learned that Zawodni's former neighbors are all delinquent on their property taxes - for some, since the fire in 2015.
According to the Lucas County Treasurer's office, this section of the city has the highest delinquency rate in Toledo, with 28% of the homes in the neighborhood owing money to the county. There are 475 different properties delinquent with close to $3.8 million worth of money due.
We asked Zawodni if he could do it all over again, would he take the money?
"I would guess if it wasn't for the other units attached to it, [my property] would have at least a value of 50 to 60 thousand," he said." "But as it stands right now, I don't know if it would be very sellable at all."
It's a story the 11 investigates team wants to share—-when everyday homeowners are stuck in impossible living conditions caused by neighborhood blight.
If you are in a tough situation because of a blighted home next door to you, please send us your story at 11investigates@wtol.com