Home at center of long legal fight torn down

A home at the center of a two-year legal fight between its owner and the city of Richmond is no more.

The former Sharon E. Jones mansion at 1225 S. A St. in Richmond was torn down this week by workers from Cox Excavating of Richmond. Last month, crews began deconstructing the 140-year-old brick, three-story building, working on the interior to salvage what they could from the decaying hulk.

The house has sat empty since a fire in 2004 and has been battered by trespassers, vandals and time.

The demolition work was ordered by the city as part of a two-year legal battle between the city of Richmond and the building's owner, John Cahill of rural Eaton, Ohio.

The city's Unsafe Building Commission ordered the home repaired or removed in April 2013. That set off a series of lawsuits, appeals and legal protests by Cahill, which might not be finished.

The city also ordered the demolition on a second Cahill property, another burned-out home at 120 N. 14th St. Cahill also sued the city over that order.

But the Ohio man has had no success. His first suit was denied one step short of the Indiana Supreme Court. He tried to get the appeal before the state's highest court but again was unsuccessful.

He repeatedly has filed suits and motions in Wayne Circuit Court, including asking for a change of venue as well as accusing Circuit Court Judge David Kolger of being biased and prejudiced.

All suits and motions were denied.

Cahill has promised to file another suit at the federal level, sending a “notice of forthcoming federal lawsuit” to city officials last month.

Cahill said then he is "challenging the actions of the city of Richmond in ordering the demolition of this structure, (1225 S. A St., Richmond)."

In his notice, Cahill also suggested he might sue Cox Excavating.

But a check of court records Friday morning found nothing filed yet with the U.S. District Court for Southern Indiana.