Ignored Warnings Lead to 20-Foot Sinkhole Near Elementary School: The 817 Maple Street Abatement Failure
817 Maple St, Missouri Valley, IA 51555
817 Maple Street has been empty for approximately eight years, steadily decaying despite repeated reports from the neighbor and her family. The home has long been a danger to the community — vagabonds have kicked the doors in and stayed inside, wildlife freely comes and goes, and the property has become a serious safety concern. The immediate neighbor, an 80-year-old woman who lives alone, has monitored the property daily out of concern for local school-aged children who often explore the area. Late one night, she was jolted awake as her entire house shook — she thought her home was collapsing. In reality, the neighboring decaying house had suddenly developed a 20-foot sinkhole.
The first abatement notice issued by John Harrison was on May 27, 2021, and the form itself notes “HOUSE EMPTY.” At that point, the neighbor had already been notifying the city for at least two years about the property’s abandoned and deteriorating state. In that same report, Harrison stated he had posted a notice on the door and that there had been “zero activity since the last notice a month ago,” acknowledging that the neighbors were “a bit frustrated.” Photos from that date show the posted notices on the window.
After this initial notice, no further abatement action occurred for nearly two years. The next documentation appears on May 24, 2023, August 1, 2023, and September 18, 2023, and all three only cite weed violations — not structural decay or public safety hazards. These forms weren’t even filled out completely with the city’s identifying information. Then, on September 15, 2023, the home was condemned as dangerous and dilapidated, with a 60-day notice for abatement. There is no record of any follow-up inspection or enforcement after that deadline expired.
On April 10, 2024, seven months later — and three years after Harrison first documented the house as empty — he sent an email acknowledging that people and animals were entering and leaving the property, noting it had been red-tagged since August 2023. The property was condemned again on June 5, 2024.
This prolonged inaction allowed the property to deteriorate to the point that, on December 30, 2024, a 20-foot sinkhole appeared overnight. The elderly neighbor was awakened by her house shaking, believing it was collapsing. Her family submitted a written complaint to City Hall on her behalf that same day. On that date, Harrison emailed City Attorney Todd Argotsinger, acknowledging both the sinkhole and that the house had been vacant for over five years. This property sits directly across from the school, making the city’s inaction especially alarming.
Despite years of warnings, the city did not engage the legal system until after the sinkhole occurred. In February 2025, the city finally filed a Petition for Title to Abandoned Property and a Petition to Quiet Title. In this filing, the city admitted that “the structure is likely to collapse either partially or completely” and that “the interior constitutes a health/fire hazard due to condition.” The petition listed the Dozier Estate as the owner, noting that the owners had passed away in 2018 and 2019.
From 2019 to 2024, with no city action, an investment company based in Las Vegas, Nevada, purchased the property, and a mortgage was filed on December 13, 2024. The Sheriff’s Office then filed a Sheriff’s Sale, which took precedence over the city’s abatement process. The house is currently listed for sale at $79,000.
This was an entirely preventable situation that could have been resolved years earlier if the city had followed its own abatement procedures. It represents years of frustration, fear, and disregard endured by residents who pay taxes and simply want a safe neighborhood.
When asked at a public meeting about creating a tracking system for citizen complaints, Harrison dismissed the idea, claiming Excel was too complicated. Yet, he manages his own business, files state business records, and serves as the building inspector for two towns. His refusal to maintain a basic tracking system is not about capability — it’s about accountability. When questioned about this case, he and the City Administrator blamed the legal system for the current delay. That may be true now, but it does not explain the previous seven years of inaction.
If this process had been handled properly, 817 Maple Street would have been repaired or demolished seven years ago — long before it endangered an elderly neighbor and the community across from our school.
**The audio came directly from City Hall, I apologize for the terrible quality, but it is not my recording**
