Picketers Take Aim at BOA, HUD

Picketers protested the demise of an historic home in Old Town Saturday with brightly-colored signs encouraging the mayor to "vote no" to demolishing the house and blaming Bank of America and the Department of Housing and Urban Development Authority for the decrepit state of the home.

Their signs read: "HUD is responsible for this" and "Bank of America is responsible for this."

Hugh Ickrath lives two houses down from 9300 Prescott Ave. and says his attempt is to get in contact with someone at Bank of America regarding the home. 

The home's owner, who does not live in the home, holds a reverse mortgage through Bank of America and a government-backed HUD program.

It is the job of the bank to protect and maintain the security interest of the property and keep the elderly in the house by making sure they up keep the home, Ickrath said.

All the bank has done is boarded up the windows, he added.

The residents on this street have been contacted by parties interested in buying and fixing up the home, Ickrath said.

Others held signs that read: "Tell the Mayor to Vote NO on motion to demolish," even making note of the city's phone number and website.

They are referring to a motion proposed by Council Member Mark Wolfe  that would require the homeowner take action on the property in 90 days or it could be demolished by the city. The mayor, who was present at the demonstration, is expected to issue the deciding vote to demolish or mothball the house at Monday's regularly-scheduled council meeting.

Council Member Mark Wolfe, who was also present at the event Saturday, said he "wants to see the house saved," and the purpose of the motion is to force the owner and the bank to realize that some action is needed or the house will fall down.

But the protestors say demolishing the house will still cost city taxpayers and will not fix the problem because the current owner would still own the property.

"I've seen too many historic homes torn down in Manassas through demolish by neglect...it is time to stop that, this is what people come to see in Old Town Manassas," said Prescott Avenue resident Ann Hempen, who owns the Manassas Junction Bed and Breakfast. "Once you tear these down you cannot build another old house."

One sign read "History is our GPS," which proves true for the Gudiel family, who drove 20 minutes from Montclair, VA, for the demonstration in hopes of saving the old house.

Ken Baksys, another Prescott Avenue resident, who moved to the area just last year said he wants the house saved for its beauty and he "cant envision anything else in its place and it is worth restoring."

Most of the people at the demonstration Saturday said they believe the house can be saved, including Mickey Tamer—a carpenter who has been in the house.

"The outside of the house looks a lot worse than the inside," Tamer said. "The rot has not reached the house, just the porch."

Still, Tamer said the porch can be restored, even though it has been condemned by officials and ordered reomoved.