MUNCIE — On one of the coldest and snowiest days of winter recently, the front door of 2421 S. Mulberry St. stood wide open. Snow drifted into the front room. A worthless ADT security sign was posted in the front yard.
The 19th century, 1½ story wood frame house was one of 103 property-tax delinquent houses purchased by U.S. Bank, custodian for TLCF 2012A, LLC, Philadelphia, at the Delaware County tax sale in October.
One of the corporation’s reasons for buying the properties, at a total cost of $290,205, is to earn money from any homeowners who redeem their properties, which homeowners can do within one year of the tax sale.
If a homeowner redeems the property, the corporation will receive from the homeowner all of its purchase price plus a minimum of 10 percent interest on the purchase price.
But in the case of 2421 S. Mulberry, the homeowner, Robin Wilkin, is buried at Tomlinson cemetery, having died in 2006.
Betty Montgomery, a retiree who lives next door to the house, says it has been vacant for at least three years and is as worthless as the ADT sign.
“It’s about ready to fall down,” she said. “The roof is falling in and it stands open all the time.”