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M/CLOUDY Temp: 38 °F Wind: CLM at 0 mph Sunday, December 15, 2002 SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map EXTRA HomeLife Magazine W3 Magazine Jobs @ Mail Tribune Tempo A & E Oregon CarZone Wellness Connection Real Estate Newspaper in Education Prime Times Outdoor Journal Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People CLASSIFIEDS Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Find Everything E SOUTHERN OREGON Automotive Communities Entertainment Publications Recreation Calendar ABOUT US FAQ What's New Advertise Home Delivery Classified Ad Contact Us Media Kit Email Story to a Friend November 25, 2002 Medford homeowner expected to pay for razing burnt house By SARAH LEMON Mail Tribune The owner of a Holly Street home that burned under suspicious circumstances in June wasn’t held responsible for the fire. But the city expects him to pay for tearing the house down. Vito DaVinci Chiarappa, 27, will have to pay $13,437 for the city to lift a lien against the property. The structure — across the street from McLouglin Middle School — was torn down in September because it was a danger to the public. "Kids like playing around on stuff like that ... and there’s all kinds of nasty stuff in there. Plus it’s an eyesore," said Chris Reising, building safety director for the city of Medford. Demolishing the house included removing hazardous asbestos, Reising said. The city notified Chiarappa in a letter dated July 19, 2002, that he would have to obtain a demolition permit and raze the house within 30 days. The letter was delivered to Chiarappa in jail where he was incarcerated on drug charges. Chiarappa has pleaded not guilty in Jackson County Circuit Court to charges of manufacturing and delivering methamphetamine within 1,000 feet of a school and additional possession, delivery and manufacturing charges. He was convicted on a separate charge of possession of methamphetamine in September. The Jackson County District Attorney’s Office has not asked that Chiarappa forfeit the Holly Street property in the pending case. The property must be linked to the crime and named in the charges if it is to be forfeited, said District Attorney Mark Huddleston. Residents in the Holly Street area told firefighters at the time of the June 14 blaze that drug activity was going on at Chiarappa’s house. However, investigators found no evidence of drugs in the burned-out structure. Someone likely set the blaze because fire investigators found no clear accidental cause, said Medford police detective Bill Ford in a June interview. But in the absence of any leads, Ford closed the case about two weeks after the fire. The fire ignited shortly after 10 p.m. in the garage, which was filled with heaps of trash and some appliances. Reach reporter Sarah Lemon at 776-4487, or e-mail [email protected] Printer Friendly Version Email Story to a Friend Subscribe Archive: Click to Search Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright 1997-2002 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy webmaster feedback A D V E R T I S E R S