Hoarder house on Milwaukee's north side is being cleaned out and razed by the city

Clearing and demolition began this week at a north side Milwaukee home that was condemned by the city as a severe hoarding nuisance.

"In two weeks, it should be down and gone," said Chris Kraco, supervisor of the condemnation section of Milwaukee's Department of Neighborhood Services. 

The owners of the home, Ilona and Roger Stank, fought in court to save their severely cluttered home from the bulldozer, but their request for a stay of the demolition was rejected.

The Stanks and the city have been locked in battle for many years over the fate of the house, located at 5511 N. 53rd St. 

In 2016, the city declared the house unfit for human habitation, and in October 2018 issued a raze order.

"Hoarders," the A&E cable TV show, featured the show in 2016 and tried in vain to help the Stanks clean up the mess.

Brew City Environmental & Restoration Services was awarded the demolition contract by the city and began work this week. Every room of the home and the garage are filled to the ceiling with the Stanks' belongings. Some of their neighbors have complained to the city over the years. 

"They're working their way toward the back of the property," Kraco said of the contractors. "They indicated to us that there are containers of liquid, possibly oils and fuel, in the garage and possibly in the house. They're taking their time to be cautious."

Once the home is removed, the Stanks will retain ownership of the lot. The elderly couple, who live elsewhere in Milwaukee and own other properties, will be required to pay for the demolition costs, Kraco said. 

Their lawyer in this matter, Christopher Carson, tried to get the court to block the city's order, at least temporarily. Further appeals were not practical.

"Given the length of time it would take for the Court of Appeals to impose a briefing schedule and decide the case, the raze would long before have happened. Therefore, I had to dismiss," Carson said.

"I'm so hurt that I don't know what to say," Ilona Stank said. "They can stop right now. They don't have to bulldoze the house."

Her son, who goes by Jay, said his parents missed a filing deadline early on and never got their day in court. He said the city and its agents are stealing from them, and his parents didn't get a chance to retrieve precious belongings, except for a 10-day period during a frigid period last winter.

"No one has a greater right over one's life and property than themselves," the son said. "This could happen to anybody." 

Contact Jim Stingl at (414) 224-2017 or jstingl@jrn.com. Follow him at Facebook or on Twitter @columnboy.