Atmore Home Slated For Demolition

Home Atmore  The homeowner says she hasn’t been able to handle the upkeep neighbors say this is a problem that has gone on too long.
by Chad Petri
Published: Thu, July 16, 2009 - 3:33 pm CST Last Updated: Thu, July 16, 2009 - 5:49 pm CST
Homeowner Carolyn Caraway studies the demolition notice on her front yard. The white sign is the latest in a string of personal setbacks.

“Well it hurts, because this is my home this is all I have, and I want to live in it, this is my home,” says Caraway. She says her home will be torn down Monday. Her minivan is crammed full of belongings from inside. She says a recent bout with cancer and a divorce has made home upkeep unmanageable and unaffordable.

“I don't have the funds to do it, all my money's gone towards my treatment, I didn't have the money, I did my best,” says Caraway. With overgrown plants and broken sheds, Caraway's home really stands out compared to others in the neighborhood. Most homes around hers on Rockaway Creek Road have clean yards, bright houses and pristine landscaping.

“As good as all the rest of it is around here and that mess back there is just bad,” says neighbor Aubrey Sellers. He has lived with Caraway's backyard facing his for more than 20 years. He says the damaged home has hurt property values and is a real eyesore. Sellers says the demolition is a solution two decades in the making with an unfortunate downside.

“Really I hate to see her lose it but she had plenty of time and she didn't do it,” says Sellers.
Caraway says she can still get the property in working order and would just need another month to do it.

“I need prayer that God'll help me, that He'll do something,” says Caraway. Caraway is living with a relative for the time being. She says she hasn't lived in the home fulltime for more than a year. At issue is how long the home has been a nuisance. Caraway says her property has only been in disrepair for a year. Neighbors say it's been a problem for more than a decade. Calls for comment from Atmore City Hall were not returned.
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and Atmoredad, oh believe me U r WRONG, cause i do know all the true facts. Because u know y? I AM HER DAUGHTER!!!!!! Now how u like that, i know way more than u do. I lived there ALOT longer than u ever have, so i know! That house has not been like that 4 as long as all of u r trying 2 say! And u know what, if it was like that when u moved there, then why in the h*** did u move there in the 1st place, uhh, thank u!! If u would have moved your a** somewhere else u wouldn’t have to be waisting your time right now, now would u. And same goes for the one across the street, your brother i think right, yea point made! Get a LIFE all of u, since obviously all yall seem to not have one, and would rather spend yall’s time trying to ruin someone else’s life and take someone’s house from them! But as u can see, IT’S NOT WORKING!!!!! HAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!!! And for seller’s oh yes, believe me he stole from that yard and i’m pretty sure still is, but since your all for trying to take up for someone and something u know nothing about, u probably r and have been doing the same thing. and as far as reading the terms and all as u said, i had already did that, thank u very much! And don’t really care, im stating the facts and truth, and u know i don’t believe that is against the law or this site!

I have no dog in this fight but there seems to be enough venom already.If the lady who house is being torn down is smart she should contact Troy King and put another dog in the fight not just set an take Atmore at it’s word.He has proven to be a compassionate man in the past The AG has the power to stop this.Where are all those habitat and the TV wonder Men now ?

It is truly a sad day when people judge loving Christian neighbors as we have,when they do not know the facts.  One side of a story is sometimes very deceiving. Maybe everyone that thinks the neighborhood did not do enough should offer some help. Then you may see how many times others have tried with no success.Health issues from all the rats and snakes are our main concern for our families not property value! Many of us deal with problems and illness also.

I do not believe I have slandered anyone.  I’ve only expressed concern about the woman losing her property and recommended that she explore legal remedies.  For any government agency, local or federal, to tear down someones house and steal their property is still a big deal in this country for a while longer.

I am a little confused. If this has been an issue for the past 3 to 8 years and she has been notified in the past, then why hasn’t something been done before now? Also I am wondering,where is her family when she is in need of help? Wouldn’t they be the ones who should come to her side first?

BamaBob and fla1,  neither of you know the true facts. Fences were damage during Iran, the drive way is city property (it’s a street Durant St)not my property to put up another fence. Stealing? Is that your response to Mr Sellers? please get your facts straight and slander someone’s name…I do believe that is a rule here.
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And like i said before, the neighbor behind her house and the neighbor beside her that shares the driveway both had fences[privacy fences] separating all the houses, but yet both neighbors took the fences down. So if it was such a problem and so terrible to look at, why take the fences down so that you can see it even more! Doesn’t make sense!!!! No, they just want to have something to fuss about and want the property thereselves, how selfish is that! And by the way the old man behind her, after taking the fence down separating the yards, was going in her yard stealing her stuff from her yard! And i seen this with my own eyes, so i guess that was 1 reason why he took the fence down..for easy access to be a thief! So how neighborly is that!!!!!!

She should spend the weekend taking pictures of every dilapidated property in Atmore and then spend a little time going through the property records to see who owns what.  It would also be very interesting to know if any of the decision makers live in the area near her house.

If she can show that she has been unfairly targeted while other, more hazardous properties remain untouched, she might be able to make a pretty good case.

And also you know there are honestly SO MANY MORE properties in Atmore that are ALOT, and when i say alot i mean alot WORSE, and also when i say WORSE, i mean WWOORRSSEE than that house. But i don’t see them wanting to demolition those houses. And believe me that town is full of homes worse than that, just take a drive through the town and you will see what im talking about! I mean come on now, yea there are some really nice expensive homes in Atmore, but pretty much the whole entire town is all old houses that has damage, so stop harrassing one woman[ correct…female, older female for that matter, that does not have a husband to help! That should make all the men ashamed of thereselves for not offering to help a lady do things that she can’t do to save her home! I have completely LOST what little, correction tad bit of respect that i had left for Atmore! Now i know for absolute sure that i will NEVER go back!

You know, i think everyone in Atmore that even voted or is saying that it should be torn down should be completely ashamed of thereselves!!! Honestly that just shows exactly what kind of people live in Atmore…sorry ones that has no compassion or sympothy for anyone but thereselves!! I am origanly from Atmore and luckily got out of that town and never plan to go back, because of these reasons. You know it looks like to me that she is trying and she deserves a chance. And to me the so called neighbors and ones that have commented on here negatively about the house would all get off there sorry butts and pitch in to help her if it is such an issue and problem to them. But we definitly don’t see them doing that now do we!! And also the city always wants to mess with and harass people like her that is not rich and snooty and doesn’t have all the money in the world to just up and put into the house! Everyone heard her say that she has health problems and i know for a fact that she does..ALOT for that matter. So can’t everyone realize that it is kinda hard on her and not that easy for her to do everything to that house. If everyone in the so called friendly and caring town of Atmore would all get together and help her it would be taken care of, she would still have her house and everyone around with a problem would be satisfied and could go back to there snooty and nosey little lives!

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