SIOUX FALLS — An unfinished mansion in southern Sioux Falls will be torn down after nearly a decade of disputes between the owner and the city.
The South Dakota Supreme Court ruled Thursday, Dec. 29, that that city has the authority to demolish the 8,000 square-foot home at 6800 S. Westfield Trail.
Vitaliy and Nataliya Strizheus purchased the land, which is southwest of the intersection of 69th Street and Western Avenue, and began construction in 2013.
The shell of the home was completed but further progress stalled.
In 2016, the city determined the house was an unsafe structure and ordered it demolished.
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The Strizheuses appealed that decision and were granted an extension. However, no further work was completed and the city took the couple to court in 2018 seeking to enforce the ordinance allowing the demolition.
The judge sided with the city and the Strizheuses appealed to the state supreme court.
In an opinion released Thursday, Chief Justice Steven Jensen said the court properly decided the case and the city can hire a third party to tear down the mansion.
“The City contended that while the Strizheuses had taken out multiple building permits, they had failed to make any progress toward completion of the home. The City also claimed that the Strizheuses had recently purchased another home in Sioux Falls, which was evidence that they had abandoned the construction project and were instead putting their money toward other ventures,” Jensen wrote.
Three neighbors to the site submitted statements to support the city’s position when the case was argued in Lincoln County.
“... over the past several years, there has been very little work done at the Westfield Home, and I do not believe there has been much, if any, work completed on the Westfield Home during the past two years,” read one statement, included in Jensen’s opinion.
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