Owner of MRH Family Dentistry Home Moves Ahead–Expensively

Donna Clifford, owner of the lot that used to be , has given up on the demolition contractor she hired to do the job in April. The house burned in Jan.

Clifford hired Middleton Carouthers to demolish and remove her house, but he left it undone. Since the house was built with asbestos the whole structure is supposed to leave wrapped in plastic.

Clifford is now talking with other contractors to finish the job. Maplewood Building Inspector Neil Fick met with one on Friday at the lot.

“There’s probably like two or three loads,” Fick said. “If they would have taken care of it the way they were supposed to do it wouldn’t have come down to this.”

Carouthers is being fined up to $1,000 by Maplewood and $500 by St. Louis County, Fick said. Carouthers' next court date is July 9.

“Just hearing him tell me how expensive this is going to be, I wish there was something more I could do for her,” Fick said. “It’s very disappointing, I feel sorry for her.”

Clifford has a buyer for her property but can't sell until the asbostos cleanup is finished and all the debris gone.

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