FOLLOWUP: Here’s what’s happened since city’s ’emergency order’ to board up long-vacant North Delridge house

That’s the long-vacant-and-vandalized house at the far north end of Delridge Way, officially known as 3804 23rd Avenue SW, in our photo from late Thursday afternoon. Earlier this month, thanks to a reader tip, we reported on an “emergency order” by the city, as part of a longrunning investigation of violations, telling the owner to “close” the house immediately, among other things. It’s since been boarded up and cleaned up, but not because the owner took action.

A reader sent us that photo on Tuesday. An accompanying photo showed a junk-hauling truck with a company name we recognized as a city contractor we’ve seen before at encampment cleanups. We subsequently asked the Department of Construction and Inspections about the property’s status; here’s the reply from spokesperson Bryan Stevens:

An Emergency Order (EO) was issued on October 10 under case 1056926-VI for a vacant building open to entry, outdoor debris, and vegetation. The EO required compliance from the property owner by October 16. The required maintenance was not completed by the property owner, so SDCI commissioned a contractor to secure the lower openings and complete the cleanup to close out the EO condition. The cost will be billed to the property owner along with related inspection fees. The building will continue to be monitored via monthly inspections through our Vacant Building Monitoring Program. However, the public should continue to file a complaint if they notice the building open to entry or additional debris. Complaints can be filed online or via phone at 206-615-0808.

We asked about the amount that’ll be “billed to the property owner”; Stevens said he wouldn’t be able to get that for us until next week. The site has had various development plans under various owners over the year; most recently, there was a proposal to renovate the house, but that plan doesn’t appear to have advanced beyond an early stage.

12 Replies to "FOLLOWUP: Here's what's happened since city's 'emergency order' to board up long-vacant North Delridge house"

  • Ron M October 27, 2023 (3:21 pm)

    When was the last time someone actually lived in this house? It seems to have been abandoned for the past 20 years at least.

    • Curious October 27, 2023 (4:58 pm)

      Very good question! I’m also curious

  • Pete` October 27, 2023 (4:35 pm)

    I moved to West Seattle in 1998 and that house has been empty that entire time. The number of complaints and violations that neighbors in Pigeon Point have filed on that property over the years could file an entire series of Britannica encyclopedia’s. I am surprised that the house has not collapsed yet with all of the dry rot and lack of any maintenance over the years. 

  • Ferns October 27, 2023 (5:17 pm)

    Speaking of abandon buildings, I’d love to know what’s happening with that small business complex surrounding west bay drive-through on the waterfront. Months ago I talked to the Stans owner who said that there had been a landslide and the building was now read tagged. At one point I saw it listed online for sale around 2 million. I know the coffee place sits on that land, so it would just be interesting to see if it’s sold or why it hasn’t. It’s also vacant, rotting, vandalized. 

  • Wavy David October 27, 2023 (7:43 pm)

    The “remodel” application has to be a joke, right? I suspect whoever owns that place is being willfully negligent and/or spiteful and/or just plain hilarious.

    • Yeah October 29, 2023 (9:40 am)

      You can rebuild an entire house and as long as the foundation stays substantially intact, it can be permitted as a remodel.  

  • Bob October 27, 2023 (9:07 pm)

    Ah just leave it alone, it’s an internationally known Haunted Palace!

  • Gina October 27, 2023 (10:19 pm)

    I think it has been unoccupied since the movie Frances filmed on that block.

  • Dakota House October 28, 2023 (10:42 am)

    Who owns the house?

  • Sillygoose October 28, 2023 (11:06 am)

    I tend to believe finding the dead body inside moved things along.

  • L October 28, 2023 (12:08 pm)

    According to King County Parcel Viewer, the property has been bouncing around between various investment shell companies since 2014. It was most recently purchased by “126 LLC” in 2018 for $245,000 , but that LLC is now administratively dissolved.  Ownership of 126 LLC is hidden behind a registered agent.  It’s hard to imagine anyone benefits by leaving that abandoned house to rot – at the least, it’s a huge legal liability as an attractive nuisance.

  • Susan October 29, 2023 (7:29 am)

    It’s a fire trap. 

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