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City officials ignore fears of elderly Detroit woman about vacant house next door

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Annie Beaver is a proud and long-time Detroit resident. She has lived in her home for more than 60 years and doesn’t want to leave.

“God has been good to me.” Ms. Beaver told 7 Action News. “I don’t want to get rid of my house, it has a lot of memories.”

Sadly, Ms. Beaver no longer feels safe in her home because of the vacant house next door.  The house is an eyesore, and the backyard looks like a jungle it’s so overgrown.’

“I don’t leave my house at night because I have to go through the alley. Someone could jump out of the bushes, and I would never see them.” said Beaver.

The vacant house is owned by the Detroit Land Bank Authority. 

A spokesperson says funds are not available to address the problematic property due to the location - which is outside the area to qualify for federal dollars. Efforts will be made to reach out to community groups to assist in boarding up the home and cleaning up the yard.

However, money is available to pay high priced attorneys to defend The Detroit Land Bank Authority in a federal investigation into Detroit’s demolition program.

The Detroit Land Bank Authority has yet to say how much money is being spent on legal fees in the criminal probe, or where the money is coming from.