Mount Vernon starts tearing down derelict homes
The two-story house at 456 S. First Ave., abandoned long ago by its owners, had boarded-up windows and was barely visible beneath the blanket of ivy and shrubbery. Piles of trash and debris were scattered around the property.
Over time, the property had fallen into a state of neglect, with vagrants and criminals moving in as code enforcement fines and unpaid property taxes mounted. The owners...
