Laserfiche WebLink
<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br />The house on the property has no value; in fact, it has negative value: the cost of demolition <br />of the house so that the land can be used for another purpose. The property was <br />purchased by Lawrence Garatoni, president and founder of CASB, for use in connection <br />with the adjacent school at 306 West Marion Street (see attached map). <br /> <br />The attached appraisal by Krause Associates LLC, states at page 4: <br />“[T]he house is noted in the National Register of Historic Places as a <br />non-contributing property within its historic district. <br />A non-contributing property in a historic district is a building or <br />structure that does not add to the historical or architectural character of <br />the district because it is either too new or has been signiflcantly altered <br />from its original appearance. These properties are outside the district’s <br />“period of signiflcance” and are subject to fewer preservation <br />restrictions compared to contributing properties. <br />The subject property is not listed as a historically signiflcant property <br />according to [https://buildingsouthbend.nd.edu] … <br />The cost of repairs to the structural and interior properties as outlined in <br />the Frost Engineering and Consulting report dated December 12, 2025 <br />would be exceedingly more than the value of the property. [Emphasis <br />added.] <br /> <br />At pages 7-8, the appraisal cites the structural report, stating: “the property is in very poor <br />condition, including structural integrity, interior and exterior features, and is uninhabitable <br />and should be demolished. In fact, … the house has a demolition order posted on the front <br />door by the city.” The appraisal identifles the value of the property as $19,600 (page 3) but <br />notes that the property was purchased by Lawrence Garatoni on January 31, 2025, for <br />$36,000 before being transferred to CASB (page 8). Mr. Garatoni and CASB have special <br />reason to value the underlying land because of its proximity to the school at 306 West <br />Marion. The property’s value is the value of the land minus the cost of demolition, <br />estimated as $20,000 (page 5). <br /> <br />