First of all I'm shocked by some of the comments. Especially the ones with a racist slant. The fact of the matter is that the home owner bought the house in order to rehab it and re-sale it. Apparently that's what he does for a living. The city is responsible because they hired a contractor whose business license had been revoked by the state. This isn't the first time this has happened.

when you own a business, you must be responsible for your actions. Some of you say it's a no headline because you feel it was not worth much, but what if it was your grandfathers "junk" car that was left to you and only worth what you feel is your sentimental attachment but you also plan to try to restore it and keep it and then somebody crashed in to you and says it don't matter because its just junk? Same difference and the contracter has insurance to cover these mistakes!

It may or may not have been a crack house, thats not relevant here. The truth is the contractor tore down the guys house by mistake, by his mistake. I cant say I blame the guy for wanting $50,000. Youngblood did more than tear down the guys house, he violated the mans property, he violated the mans privacy. I agree with Butch, the $50,000 may be the cheaper way out of this for Youngblood. Civil courts can get expensive.

What I'm wondering is why is this guy not up on charges. This falls into some of them. Trespass, criminal mischief, destruction of property. I'm telling you you don't know how expensive this could get. If it goes to Civil Court (which it will) this guy will have to pay out the nose. He will have to pay both lawyers as it was his fault. I'm looking at 50 thousand being cheap. As for the city they can't blow it off either. When you have someone working for you you become responsible for what they do. Now the city can fall back and sue the contractor to recover. When you screw up you are responsible for damages. Now I don't know what the house was worth and the clean up cost. But that is what they are responsible for. Anyone that sees it any other way needs to back off of what their doing because it's killing their brain cells. I also wonder if maybe the contractor knew it was a crack house out of visiting it often. Public records can be checked to see why or how often police were there.

if he had tore down your house you wouldn't talk like that you would want your money and the mess cleaned up

Granted the contractor made a mistake, but it was a boarded up piece of crap with no utilities on, and obviously No In-sho-ance. This thug of an owner is just looking for that easy money, no way that mess is worth 50K, he was offered 2K and clean-up - take the money and get in your car with the handicap parking sticker and go to the Walmark

Forgot to put at the end of last post,contractor was also wrong for not waiting for the city to show up.

Just another NOBAMA backer wanting some free $$$ ,he had over 6 Months to start something with the house and didn't its a wonder the city don't charge him for tearing it down,he owned the house to be tore down to and he never did anything with it I don't see NOOBAMA came throu neither.

The contractor should not only pay for the house and clean up the mess, he needs to learn how to read a work order.