A DuPage County judge has ordered that an Itasca house be boarded up after village inspectors discovered that much of the two-story brick building, where three people lived, was filled with garbage and that parts of the structure were close to collapse.
Neighbors are puzzled over what went wrong inside the house at 321 Home Ave., where the front yard is full of carefully tended plants and flowers. The only thing that seemed amiss on a recent weekday were the many cats wandering around outside.
The home came to the town’s attention in September when it was noticed that no water was being used at that address. The home didn’t have gas or electric service either. After several visits by a police officer, a social worker and a crisis counselor, the owners of the home — Helen Blezien, 81, and her daughter, Patricia, 52 — agreed on Oct. 16 to let village officials look inside.
George Blezien, 49, Helen’s son, also lived there, and a neighbor said the family had occupied the home for at least 30 years.
Upon entering the home, the two village building inspectors and police officer were “overwhelmed” by the stench of “human and animal waste,” according to village reports. A narrow path, about 2 feet wide, led through piles of “rubbish and garbage.” Authorities found junk stacked three-quarters of the way to the ceiling.
Inside the bathroom, the floor boards had rotted away, leaving a large hole. Building inspectors wrote that the floor was in danger of collapse, as was the chimney outside the home.
Ten cats were living in a feces-filled cage in the kitchen, where the elderly woman slept in a lawn chair near the refrigerator, according to a police report. The woman’s daughter “cried and told us that no human should live this way,” the report said.
Shortly after the first visit by a police officer in September, the village received two checks for past-due water bills: one check for a dollar and another, for $4.50.
At the request of the village, on Oct. 18, a DuPage judge ordered the home boarded up and also ruled that the animals be taken to the county animal shelter. A dozen cats and a dog lived in the home, one of the owners told police.
Nicole Aranas, director of community development, said all three residents are out of the home and have been placed in other housing.
The village is seeking permission to clean out the home and recover the costs by placing a lien on the property.
The block where the home stands has seen its real estate value rise in recent years — three teardowns have gone up nearby — and neighbors want to see the boarded-up home fixed or torn down.
