March 29 is the deadline for demolition of an eyesore in St. Joseph. The home at the corner of Niles and Hoyt has become unofficially known as the “Tarp House,” due to the covering on the roof, and owner Dennis Knuth lost his latest appeal of the city’s demolition order. St. Joseph city attorney Laurie Schmidt talked about the timeline at this week’s city commission meeting, saying Knuth has 45 days from the date of the Michigan Court of Appeals ruling “to demolish the house, and if that doesn’t happen, the city will have to take action.”
Knuth put the tarp on the roof in 2016 to cover a hole, but the high winds recently tore big holes in that as well. He has appealed the demolition order multiple times and Schmidt does not believe the latest court decision can be appealed to the Michigan Supreme Court. If Knuth fails to act and the city handles the demolition, he’ll be billed for it.
