PINE LAWN, Mo. – A St. Louis County municipality is in fear; not from things like crime, flooding, or a chemical spill, but from falling bricks.
FOX 2 is getting answers about a house that is truly falling apart at 6111 Reichman in Pine Lawn. It sits amid dozens of houses with well-kept flower beds and manicured yards tucked away off of Jennings Station Road.
“Since the last time I saw it, the roof has caved all the way in,” said Alonzo Simmons, who grew up next door to the crumbling house. “Every month, it looks a little worse.”
On Monday, Simmons was visiting his mother, Yolanda James, who’s lived in the home since 1973.
“It’s taking down the prettiness of my yard,” she said. “It’s just an eyesore.”
James lives two houses from the crumbling house. There are legitimate safety issues.
Simmons points to the collapsed roof and leaning chimney, and worries about what will happen when it falls. The chimney is leaning toward his mom’s house.
“When that chimney comes down, it’s going to smash and hit (her) house,” he said. “We grew up in this neighborhood. We knew the original owner of this house. That’s what makes it so devastating: to see a house we grew up around. We ran in and out of this house, you know.”
It’s been years since anyone lived in or cared for the place, according to neighbors.
Records show it last sold in 1999. Pine Lawn City Administrator Lillian Eunice, told FOX 2 it’s unclear whether the last registered owner was even still alive.
The appraised value has crashed from $30,500 last year, to just $3,000 now.
Neighbors won’t park too close for fear of falling bricks. James’ mother-in-law lives right next door, on the opposite side of Simmons’ mother.
“She could be getting out of her car, you never know, and it just falls in on her,” James said.
FOX 2 uncovered a bit of good news for residents: the house at 6111 Reichman is one of 20 just acquired by the City of Pine Lawn for demolition. The city is aggressively taking down derelict structures, posting signs in yards of “soon-to-be-demolished” buildings.
A house at 6226 Creston is gone. A sign at 6207 Stillwell lets neighbors know it’s coming down soon.
The plan is to have all the crumbling houses demolished within two years, Eunice said.
Residents on Reichman had another one to add to the list, two houses away from 6111 Reichman. A tree has actually grown into one of the bedrooms, and an exterior wall has collapsed.