City: Madonna's Mich. House Eyesore
Current Owners Say Arsonist Burned House
POSTED: Thursday, November 19, 2009
UPDATED: 11:33 pm EST November 19,
2009
ROCHESTER HILLS, Mich. -- Madonna’s childhood home in Michigan has become the center of fight between its current owners and the city.
Juliet Dedaj and her husband own the house in Rochester Hills. She bought the house with her husband six years ago and has been in the process of refurbishing it.
Dedaj said the house was set ablaze by an arsonist last summer, and that fire officials and insurance employees secured the property and told her not to touch it while an investigation is ongoing. Dedaj said their claim has not been paid because of the investigation, which is preventing them from taking care of the house.
Now, it has become run down. There are piles of insulation that has been pulled from the house in the yard and several windows are boarded up in the back of the house.
“It’s locked. I can’t come out here,” Dedaj said.
The city said the property has become an eyesore and caused blight, devaluing other properties in the area.
Dedaj said the city is ordering her to pay $100 for every day after Nov. 27 that the city finds the property in violation of city codes.
“I don’t want to lose the house. It’s my house, it’s not theirs anymore,” Dedaj said. “Somehow I’m going to keep it.”
Dedaj said she’s suing her insurance company because they are claiming her or her husband set the fire - - a claim Dedaj adamantly denies. She said she thinks it was either someone who was a fan of the so-called Material Girl, or someone who wasn’t.
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