The oops building

My name is Jon, I live in Detroit and I like old houses. I live in a historic home, I own another one and I have been looking for a third for the last year. After touring and making offers on a number of places, I decided to take a shot at the Wayne County Tax Foreclosure Auction.

I came up with a list of about a dozen potential properties that interested me after a late night or two scouring the rolls of what's available in my neighborhood (greater downtown Detroit). Most of them were in the Woodbridge neighborhood, and they were a combination of vacant lots, single-family homes and even an old Mason's Hall. Thankfully, I didn't get the Mason's Hall. I did get a vacant lot not far from it.

The idea was simple. Buy a weeded, vacant lot and turn it into a fenced-in urban garden where my wife can grow vegetables and our dog can run off leash. I got the lot, and at the time it looked like a big one. About three vacant lots combined big, including a corner lot. There is a vacant duplex next to it that interested me, but it wasn't up for auction. It had an address on the street perpendicular to my vacant lot so I assumed it was its own property on its own parcel. This is what I get for assuming.



Some in-depth sleuthing on the Internet led me to believe my purchase didn't include all of the vacant lot. I know I own the corner lot. However, it appears my lot doesn't run lengthwise along the street of its address but lengthwise along the intersecting street. Put simply its short side runs along the street with its address. That apparently means that all of the vacant space isn't mine, but the vacant duplex is. A few trips to the county Register of Deeds and the city Assessor confirmed these suspicions. A look at the deed (coming in the mail from the county Treasurer) should give final confirmation.

So that leaves me with an Accidental Duplex, an exciting prospect for me but not my wife. When this really started to dawn on me, I was afraid my wife might actually kill me or make me wish I was dead. However, she forgave me after some careful, humble explaining. Or at least she has decided to not kill me for the moment.

For the time being, I can dream. And do I dream of the potential of not only the vacant lot but my Accidental Duplex, too. I have visions of building Calvin & Hobbes-style snowmen gatherings in the vacant lot, and turning the duplex into a piece of public art. One vision I can't shake is having a string quartet play in the lot for an hour or so. No big performance. No particular reason. Just an impromptu public performance of something beautiful for whoever happens to be within listening distance. I have dreams of making the duplex livable again, too, but its not something that will be done easily. The structure appears solid and secure, however, it needs a lot of work, including a new roof. There may be fire damage on the inside, too. On top of all of that I can't get inside because it's so well secured, so who knows what's in there. It all seems so fitting with this purchase.